Second Life
by Seria on Twelve Notes
Summary: Bad luck. That is the cause of all this. I wasn't supposed to die and I definitely wasn't supposed to end up in this world. If I chose to become Cinderella in my second life then why the heck am I in this body and in this world? Full Summary inside!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys its Seria here! Well though there are 3 other fics uploaded with this account this is actually my first fanfiction ever! I am in love with Dangan Ronpa (mostly because the game came out before the anime) and this story will have major spoilers so if you haven't finished the game or waiting for the anime, I suggest you don't read this first! This fic is about an unnamed OC who later gets a chance to relive her life as Celes (my fav. character in-game of all time) and the twist of starting anew in another reality allowed our protagonist to discover the ways of the world of Dangan Ronpa! I've decided for the initial pairing to be a NaegiXCeles but I'll work it out in due time. Anyway since I am new here I do hope you guys would at least give this fic a chance and if there's anything I need to work out on do tell me! Well, enjoy the show!

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Chapter 1: Despair is just beginning

Unlucky doesn't even begin to describe who I am. As a child, I'm always the slowest when it comes to races, always the last to be picked when playing soccer with the boys, and definitely the only girl to go to a school dance without a date. That barely scratches the surface of who I am though. Awful at sports, having a wide range of allergic reactions from seafood to dandelions, and as graceless as a hippopotamus dancing in the meadows. Yup that pretty much sums it up.

Forget being unlucky, I'm pretty much Omen-class bad luck. Though I do admit to bringing misfortune upon myself and others most of the time I am however not that pessimistic about myself. My saving grace I suppose, is that I actually do well in exams and I do have friends. Not a lot mind you but still people who would hang out with a jinx like me.

Talking about my traits I believe in movies and television series I am what would be known as 'passerby A'. I am neither that pretty nor do I stand out in a crowd (except when something bad happens of course and people would point at me). Simply put, I am one of the masses, a typical seventeen-year old high school girl.

Oh but dear readers though indeed this is a story of the woeful tidings that befalls upon me it hasn't even begun yet. No, it gets more confusing and murkier from this point on, causing even the most sensible person on this planet to go insane and commit suicide _again_.

Yes, I did stress upon the word _again_. Don't assume now, though I am quite an unlucky person I never once thought of taking my own life. However the act of taking my life was done by another. _Murder_, dear readers. A very common yet distorted nature of human beings to take the life of another.

It wasn't an accident and it was definitely not intended. I just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, courtesy of my birth right curse. It was my luck that led me to the alleyway that was a shortcut to my house, thinking I could hurry home and start on my chemistry assignment, when I heard a strangled scream and angry shouting in front of me.

A few seconds and a man came running towards me, clutching what happened to be a briefcase and a...gun. A few seconds and our eyes met, his was bloodshot and alarmed while mine was a mixture of surprise and fear. A few seconds and his hand raised, finger on the trigger. A few seconds and I felt something pierce through my chest.

I placed my own hand on my chest and saw the scarlet-red colour of my own blood. _I've been shot_, was my first line of thought as I fell to my knees. I looked upwards to the shooter, my would-be killer. He looked quite surprised, as if he couldn't believe what he just did. His hand was shaking, he was afraid. Then he raised the gun again, and I knew what was coming. I then closed my eyes, preparing for the worst. It happened so fast I barely realized it already ended. Another bullet right through my brain. I felt it penetrate through my grey matter and I was down, kissing the stone cold pavement. The last thing I knew, or heard, before I left the living plane was a frantic "_I'm so sorry." _ And that was the end of it.

There were more shouting I think, I could barely think anymore. Darkness consumed me, no longer feeling the pain that had once overpower me. It was a weird sensation, dying that is. My eyelids were too heavy for me to force open and I felt my body grew lighter as I was pulled upwards. Next thing I knew I was on a barren land, void of anything living save for the bellowing wind and sand.

This must be the afterlife, I thought grimly. I let out a sigh and looked around. There was nothing of note, the more I look at the place the more it reminds me of a desert. It was a desert ruin that I've only seen in pictures and television. My body felt heavy again and I knew there were higher beings at work here in my dilemma. I wondered if it would be an angel or the devil that comes to claim my soul.

"Neither I'm afraid." a voice suddenly boomed behind me, causing me to let out a startled gasp.

I turned to see the oddest creature I have ever laid my eyes upon. It has the head of a cat, horns of a goat, and the body of a human. It was wearing a black suit with a red tie while there was a monocle on its left eye. The way it stood with a certain amount of poise and nobility that it reminded me of a butler in a cheesy Victorian movie. Seeing this I can't help but let out a muffled giggle. It was very bizarre to say the least but oddly funny at the same time.

"H-Hey what's with that laugh!" he asked indignantly.

I apologized as I waved at him, _it_, as I'm not sure of its gender.

"Hmph well kids these days sure lack manners, in my days..." It began what looked like a very long lecture.

I rolled my eyes and thought that this is going to take some time. Are all angels naggy? I thought to myself.

"I'm not an angel and I'm certainly not naggy!" It said in an annoyed manner.

You can read my mind! I shouted in my head.

"Why yes I can." It said smugly, a smile forming. "In fact I can even tell you everything that has ever happened in your life, including some very embarrassing memories."

Oh don't you dare you smug little cat! I pulled on its horns and it frantically began pushing me away.

"Ow ow stop that! I'm just messing with you geez... No sense of humour at all..." It muttered in an irritated manner. It then stared at me intently, its eyes bore right into mine.

What are you then? I wondered, and was not let down when it seemed to have read my mind yet again.

"I'm a scribe, well more like a guide to you now. And I am not an _it_, I'm a _she_." She stated clearly. "I am Neferiari, your guide to your next life." She gave a short bow and took out a large old book from her back.

I quietly stood next to her as she quickly flipped through the pages, as if looking for something. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask her. About God, about what she does, and that if I'm going to heaven or hell. Heck, I'd settle for the true meaning of life however she doesn't seem to be in the mood to answer my questions.

She seemed intent on looking for whatever she is looking for and gave a small cheer as she found it.

"Now there it is! Your profile." She tapped on the page.

I bent slightly to see and it was true. My name, picture and even my family members and close friends were listed. Is the page entirely about me I wonder?

"Twelve pages to be exact. It's short mind you compared to the others cuz' you died young see? Most of you youngins' get ten to fifteen pages max depending on when you die- ...waitaminute, something is wrong here " She suddenly frowned.

Again she began flipping through the pages and as she did so her face turned as white as a sheet.

"Oh no..."

Well that can't be good.

She turned to look at me and gave a sort of apologetic smile. "It seems that the higher ups made a, uh, mistake about the time that you're supposed to die." She said nervously.

They did what?

"Yes well, you see, apparently you're supposed to live until you're forty and have three children and so on. See here? Your life story isn't supposed to end today." She pointed to a certain paragraph in the page.

Then...then what happened? Why did I die today, gunned down by a slimy crook?

"Well uh... I just got a statement by the Reaper that he uh, said that your luck got him confused with someone else's. Turns out the soul he was supposed to snuff out was the guy holding the gun, not you." She said apologetically.

My...luck?

"Yes well bad luck has always gotten into the Reaper's way. It interferes with Fate's work and this kind of thing happened in the past so it's completely natural a mistake would occur."

A mistake... My death was a mistake... You have got to be kidding me.

"I'm not and I am terribly sorry this happened to you." She apologised again as her head dropped in shame.

Then...bring me back to life! You can do that right? I thought desperately.

She shook her head and looked at me grimly. "I'm afraid not. A soul collected by the Reaper cannot be given back you see? It'll mess with the order of life and various things. I can't send you to heaven or hell either because your trial cannot start as how things are."

But...but what about my life? Tears formed in my eyes as I desperately try to make sense of things. I wasn't supposed to die, and it was my bad luck that got in the way of the Reaper's work. Now I'm stuck in this blank desert with a cat-like scribe and I'm not going to either heaven or hell.

"D-Don't cry! Please I feel just as bad as you are!" She waved her hands frantically.

I began wailing, my sobs echoing in the desert.

"Please stop, I'm begging you- there is a way!" She suddenly shouted amidst my sobs. "... There is a way for you to be alive again."

I looked at her tearfully, my heart suddenly filled with a small hope.

"It...It's more like a loophole see? Though I can't technically bring you to life in this reality I can send you to another one."

Another reality?

"Yes another reality. Take it like a fairy tale per se. The reality I mentioned is the vast line of story books and tales that you have or have not read. I can send you into Cinderella or Rapunzel or-or even into cartoons like Avatar or even Naruto!"

That sounds quite ridiculous, even for me. Getting sent into story books and cartoons?

"I am not lying! Do you think that the world you live in now is the only world in this universe? The stories that you've read and seen, do you not think it's weird that no matter how impossible to believe or fantastic, are the work of fiction alone? No, it was from a higher being that gave humans the insights of how the others are living!" Neferiari said, her fingers weaving pictures in the sand as if to give me a clearer picture of what she is saying. "Trust me when I say that I was given the power to allow you to live in these fantastic tales!"

Sent into stories... Then won't my life be controlled by the flow of the story?

"Not necessarily! See when you go into a different reality you shape your own destiny based on what you want! You... You can't really change the major parts of who you are going to be or what is in store for your character but most importantly you get to live!" She explained.

My character? Wait does that mean I'm not going to be me anymore?

"Yes I'm sorry but I can't force a non-character of the story to appear in it out of thin air. The best I can do is place you into another character that already exist."

I thought about it for a moment. To be someone else, a fairy tale character no less, is highly appealing. No more will I be burdened by my bad luck and for once I could actually get a happy ending. Yes it sounds very interesting indeed but...

As if she read my mind yet again, Neferiari quickly spoke "I can provide you with a detailed list of your new life's profile as well as the story's detail to you. You can change certain aspects of yourself and the storyline, but nothing major got it?" She warned.

I contemplated on the offer and quickly made up my mind. Yes, I agree.

"Great, well at least I'll feel a bit better after this." She said, looking very relieved. "So which story would you like to be sent into? I can send you into movies too but be warned I don't know what will happen after the credit rolls though."

I thought about it, and thought again. If I wanted a story with a happy ending and a good, easy-going life for me then it would definitely be- Cinderella. I mean that was the first story I have ever read when I was a child and well my pre-princess life would suck, but it'd get better once I meet Prince Charming. I mean come one, who doesn't want to be a princess in her lifetime? It's decided, I want to be Cinderella in...Cinderella.

"Ah that fairy tale then, good, good..." She mumbled to herself. "Okay here goes, I'm going to send you there now. Remember, don't change the storyline too much and don't ever, _ever_, die in a story. Not unless it is scripted then I can't help you with that, it's up to you to change that flow of the story." She stated matter-of-factly.

Well I won't have to worry about that, it is Cinderella after all.

"Yeah well, if anything goes wrong just look up the story book I'll send to you and oh, don't let anyone else see that too! There will be some scary punishment by Fate if you disclose unnecessary spoilers to the other characters."

Okay, got it. First thing I'll do is bury the book away from the evil stepmother and stepsisters.

"Alright here goes, you ready?" She clapped her hands and looked at me for confirmation.

Wait, wait! So soon? I don't know if I'm ready to jump into another life yet! My old one-

"Has already ended." She interrupted me. "I am sorry, truly I am very sorry. Your old life ended abruptly as much as your new one is beginning. I can understand that you're scared, confused but as there are many more souls reaped I simply can't dwell too long in this plane. You are a special circumstance that is why I am willing to help you out as long as it is needed, but not now."

I nodded solemnly, understanding that asking for more explanation is not going to help anyone.

"This does not mean I will abandon you though! I am busy now but I'll come by to help you out every now and then in your new life! I promise you that!" She held up her hand as if signalling her promise.

I smiled and gave her a short bow. I just met this cat-like scribe but I was beginning to like her. Shame we have to part ways now.

As if reading my mind again, she too gave me a crooked smile. "I hope the next time we meet will be on better terms. Now are you ready?"

I shut my mouth as tightly as I could and nodded.

"Okay then here goes nothing! Enjoy your new life then!"

As she said that I was suddenly swept away by a torrent of darkness. The wind bellowed heavily and I could hear lightning clashes in the background. After being whirled around for what felt like eternity, I felt a wave of drowsiness hit me. I was falling asleep. Well...here is to a new, would-be happy life...

...

_Bzzt!_

"Mmm..." I mumbled sleepily. What is that infernal noise I'm hearing?

The sound buzzed continuously, forcing me to open my eyes.

...That can't be right, Cinderella is supposed to wake up by the sound of melodious chirping of birds. That sounded more like...an alarm clock?

"...chan."

Huh? What was that sound?

"Tae-chan wake up."

What? Who is that? Who's... Tae-chan?

I looked around my surrounding. I was in a bizarre-looking room this time. There were black veils hung around my bed and I could've sworn those are stuffed bats hanging on the ceiling. The room had a dark, medieval-theme to it and that was when my eyes focused on a few figures standing next to my bed. I was surrounded by vampires. I almost screamed when the door suddenly opened and sunlight entered the room. My eyes burnt from the sensation of that bright light and as my eyes adjusted I saw that they weren't vampires after all. They were dummies, large dolls of sorts.

A woman stood at the door, her hands on her hips. "Honestly Tae-chan were you up all night gambling on those online websites again? I told you that you need a good night's rest for today!" She fusses as she went to open the curtains.

I stared at her, a look of utter shock latched on my face. Who is this woman? She definitely does not look like the evil stepmother of Cinderella and did she just call me _Tae-chan_?

She went around the room collecting several pieces of clothing on the floor and turned to look at me again. "Oh I'm sorry dear, I forgot you prefer me calling you by your other name. Now get up _Celes-chan_." The woman smiled adoringly and ruffled my hair.

I continued staring at her, dumbfounded. Even the other name she called me didn't make sense. It was only then that I notice she was speaking in an entirely different language than English. It sounded Chinese or perhaps Japanese, certainly not the native English I have been speaking all my life yet I could understand her as if it was common knowledge.

"Goodness look at the time, I have to get breakfast ready and Celes-chan please wake your onii-san up. God knows the only mutual habit you two share is that you both are night owls." She said as she left the room.

I was still there, right there on my bed staring at the empty space where that woman had been standing. What on earth is happening here? How did I get here? This is surely not the Cinderella I knew. Maybe Neferiari didn't mention having sent me to an Asian version of Cinderella. Thinking about Neferiari, I remember her mentioning a guide book that she would send to help me out. Scanning around again, I found said book lying inconspicuously on the table. How I knew it was the guide book? Easy, the letters on the cover were practically dazzling in this dark room. It had to be the one.

I immediately got out of the bed and picked the book up. Staring at the cover, my heart slowly sank as I read the title.

_Dangan Ronpa: Academy of Hope and High School Students of Despair._

I stared at it for another good minute before-

"WHAT THE HECK?!"


	2. Chapter 2 : Cinderella

Hello there it's Seria here! Just as I had promised the new chapter is up as soon as possible! First and foremost I would like to thank my first 4 reviewers for the first chapter. I understand that there were some minor confusions at the beginning and how some of you find it highly similar to another fic on this site that has the same setting. Rest assured I will not copy another writer's work and this story will feature a different storyline and more! I hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews are much appreciated as well as creative criticism! Do tell me what you think and behold~

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Chapter 2: Despair is an unlucky Cinderella

_This doesn't make sense,_ I thought as I clenched the book in my hands. I knew that Neferiari had made yet another mistake. Still staring at the book I reread the title again and again.

_Dangan Ronpa... _Nope it doesn't ring a bell. From the sound of it this seems more like a Manga or an Anime rather than a fairy tale. Not that I am unfamiliar with them it is just that I don't happen to know this one.

I flipped the page to see a picture of a girl dressed in a gothic Lolita outfit. _So pretty...wait is that supposed to be me? _The person that I took over in this life. I felt slightly bad for her, having her body stolen by an unknown being. _So does that make me some kind of demonic spirit possessing the poor girl? _I tried moving my fingers and toes, ascertaining whether I am met with resistance or not. Nothing. If anything the body moved with quite ease, as if it gave me full permission to do as I please.

"How intriguing." I said, amused. Wait what did I just say? I lightly touched my lips in surprise. "Oh dear, what on earth possessed me to speak in such manner?"

Again I was surprised. Since when did I begin speaking like this?

_The book, _I thought as I scrolled down to read about the girl...me. Turns outthe profile of _Celestia _amounts to numerous pages.

_There is too many to read in such a short time, what am I going to do? _I thought, the sense of dread slowly engulfing me as I looked at the book. It was highly likely the woman just now was Celes's mother and she had mentioned about a brother, meaning this girl has a family. What if she seemed odd in front of them? How does Celes usually act in front of her family? A million questions ran through my mind as I hastily look for the answers I seek.

"There is an easier way to do that you know?"

I squeaked in surprise at the sudden voice, dropping the book and looked left and right for the speaker. I then noticed a peculiar picture on the wall that seemed out of place. While the rest of the wall was filled with paintings of vampires (and oddly enough one of them was a boy band with vampire costumes) there was one that had a fat, tabby cat.

"Neferiari?" I asked curiously, my eyes not leaving the painting. No sooner had I said her name that the cat suddenly yawned and raised a hand from underneath the frames.

"In the flesh, or lack thereof". She answered.

My heart made a happy beat at seeing the familiar face but I quickly frowned when I remembered the predicament that I was in.

"You! You sent me to the wrong story you abysmal feline!" I clasped my hands on my mouth just as the words left me. That accent was certainly foreign to me.

"It wasn't my fault! I was 100% sure I sent you to the right story until..." She trailed off, suddenly she looked quite queasy.

"Until...?" I prodded for her to finish her sentence.

She scrunched her face up in a cat-like manner, as if torn between trying to say something or like she just ate something spoilt. "I...I can't say. I'm really sorry don't ask me anymore or the higher ups will get angry!" She pleaded.

So much for getting my answer. I knew somehow my luck ran out on me yet again and I was waiting for her to say it but this came as a surprise. What does she mean that the higher ups will get angry? Did God have something to do with my dilemma now? So many questions, too little answers that makes sense. I decided to put that aside for now.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose to try to think clearly. "Okay, I won't ask about that just yet then but still oh Neferiari what am I going to do? The family of this girl is waiting for her outside this room and I have no idea who she is or how to act like her. And...And this book is absolutely useless! How am I supposed to memorise all of it?" I complained.

"That is why I am here girly! I'm going to teach you how to use the book!" She said proudly, her initial uneasiness disappeared. "Now that book has special powers see? Coming from another reality and all that. Try holding the book up and pressing it to your chest. Go on." She prodded.

I looked at her sceptically but did as I was told. Before I could press it to my chest Neferiari suddenly made a strangled noise.

"Ah, ah before I forget! Be warned that once you do that everything about this universe will be made known to you. I do mean _everything. _About yourself, the history of this world, your past and your _future_." She said in a fortune telling manner.

"My future? You mean I'll know about things that haven't happened yet?"

She nodded in confirmation and I gulped. My future... it was indeed quite a temptation. It feels like opening Pandora's Box, there might be things about myself that I don't wish to know. However I don't think I have any choice in this matter if I wish to adapt to this world.

Having made up my mind, I took a deep breath and hugged the book tightly.

For that one moment, time seemed to have stopped for me. More than a million memories, habits and other knowledge coursed through my mind and body. It was painful for a moment as old scars and experiences were remembered but then the procedure went smoothly. It was like crossing a calm river, with the water flowing through my body. A tingling sensation signals the end of it, and I remembered. _Everything_.

I let out the air I had unconsciously held in and dropped to my knees. I lightly massaged my forehead as I panted slightly, taking in what I have seen.

_Gambling, extortion, blackmail. _Those were a part of me, the _old _me. I felt those actions were justified somehow, like my way of thinking had changed, shaped by what Celes, _myself_, had dealt with in this world.

I let it all sink in, accepting each and every one of it. They were no mere memories, it wasn't like how it was in class where I had watched a slide show on how people in Africa lived. It wasn't like watching another person lives their life, it was as if I had relived _mine_. But the past is the past, I know just as much that I am not able to change that. _The future...however..._

"So how was it? Got a good grip on the down-lows already?" Neferiari purred in front of me, licking her lips in anticipation.

"Apparently I have." I said smoothly as I stood up to look at her. "It was quite an... unusual treatment but none too difficult for me." The way I spoke had changed entirely. Was I myself before I was Celes or after I wasn't entirely sure anymore but it felt more _natural _speaking this way.

"Good, good, I can see the effects starting to kick in." She nodded approvingly. "The longer you stay in this world the more you will gain your old senses and abilities back. When I mention you I meant _you_, Celes." She stressed on the name.

"Yes I understand. I feel slightly better now." I answered calmly. _Too _calmly. "I believe I can now converge with the rest of my family members without a problem however Neferiari..." I frowned slightly. There were some concerns regarding what is going to happen in the future.

Again, as if she had read my mind she quietly spoke. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about what is going to happen much later on, what's going to happen will happen but it won't be until two years from now. By the way if you have any questions you should ask me now, I'll be quite busy after this and won't be able to contact you like so anymore."

"I think me getting burnt alive and dying a horrible death by a truck crashing into me is a cause for worry is it not?" I crossed my arms as I said that. "Never mind that apparently I will become a killer in the future, orchestrating the murder of one of my close friends and a direct involvement in another." I saw it, the death of a boy named Ishimaru and the sound of Yamada's skull cracking in my ears by the hammer. It was nauseating, the terrible deeds that I would perform in two years' time.

"Then why not change it?"

"Hmm?" I simply looked at the talking cat.

"Change your future. Why don't you do that?" She elaborated.

"Pardon me but I do believe it was you who said I cannot do any _major _changes to the plot. I think my death and the other two serves as an entire chapter's worth is it not?" Somehow I did not manage to get rid of the sickening taste in my mouth as I said that. To be able to speak of committing murders and one's eventual demise is an acquired taste, one I feel quite abashed of as I am able to talk about it with deathly calmness.

Neferiari stared at me with the same level of clarity I possess. "I did say that yes but I also said that it is _up to you _to change the flow of the story if it comes to your impending doom." Seeing me keeping my silence she grew a bit agitated. "Okay say that you became Jeanne D'Arc instead and you'd end up getting burnt at a stake for witchcraft too right? Well do you _want _to get burnt?"

I shook my head in response.

"Then I think you might want to stop that from happening am I right? It won't affect the other realities even if you avoid your death. Simply put what I said before was a formality the higher ups told me to tell you. The loophole here is that _you can do anything you want in this world_. Even murder but you'll have to answer to that in the afterlife mind you."

I placed my hand under my chin and began rubbing it thoughtfully, processing this vital piece of information I had just gotten.

"So what you are saying is that if it is within my abilities to change my fate then _legally _speaking I can do it? Even if it means that my actions could throw the whole plot haywire?"

"Well look at it this way, do you have the guts to kill your best friends for a world on the brink of destruction?"

"Point taken. I believe this changes thing significantly." I clapped my hands and turned to my wardrobe. I picked out my usual Goth dress and turned to the desk to take out my steel ornament.

"You're awfully calm for a girl facing a bleak future. Must be from your gambling days I suppose." Neferiari spoke as her head bobbed up and down.

"Quite the contrary I am deathly scared. However if I allow my fear to swallow me then I am unable to act properly." I answered as I took off my pyjamas. "And I believe a thank you is in order for giving me this information now. Had it been even a day later and it would have been too late."

"Oh, why so?" She questioned.

"Because I would have arrived at Kibougamine by then and Junko would have erased all of my memories." I said simply. "I can't change the fact that this High School of Despair is going to take place one way or the other. This world will end and looking at all the perspectives the school is my best bet to stay alive. I refuse to die again, not when I'm given this second life. I'll do everything it takes to stay alive and..." I trailed off as I stopped at the door.

"And...?" She looked at me curiously.

"And save my friends. All of them." I finished confidently and snapped the door shut.

* * *

My name is Celestia Ludenberg, I am sixteen-years old and for the entirety of my life I have been a gambler. Some might say I am addicted to it, that gambling is my oxygen and sole reason for living. How wrong they are. I gamble because I want to win, because I was born to win. In this world if you aren't a winner then you lose. The rules are cruelly simple.

"That is why this is another gamble that I am taking. Can I retain my prior mind set and save my soon to-be friends or will I forget that and save my own skin? My, this is giving me quite the rush." I spoke to no one in particular.

Here I am standing in front of Kibougamine Academy, the high school that is famous in Japan for nurturing prospective youths for the future. It is quite ironic, I thought, that this would be a battleground that brings despair.

The academy is quite large, said to be the largest structure in the region. I stood right in front of the gates now, remembering the words Neferiari left me just before I depart for this school.

_Celes there is another thing I forgot to mention, that is once the despair academy begins you won't be able to retain certain parts of your memories. I know you said having prior preparations gives you a head start however you need to depend on luck that Enoshima Junko would only erase your memories of your time within the academy and not before. If that were to happen then not even I can help you. Just remember not to act too chummy with them from the start. _

"For me to pull this off I need to play my cards right... one wrong move and I'll be forced to fold." I mumbled.

In the end it all falls back to luck. How ironic it would seem as it was my bad luck that got me killed and sent to this world in the first place. Now I have to depend on it to not only save my life, but fifteen others as well.

"Well I suppose if something goes wrong I can throw them to the sharks and live on my own fufufu." I gave a small laugh but it sounded wrong in my ears. I'm not quite sure I like the personality that Celes had built up. It might take some time to get used to it...

I took a deep breath as I watched the school gates open to let me in, knowing what was going to happen in a few seconds.

"Well here goes something..." I crossed my fingers and took a step into the threshold. As soon as I was about to reach the entrance hall I began to feel drowsy. I staggered and tried to lean on a pillar to support me to no avail. My eyes flickered heavily and I finally fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Mmm..." I mumbled as I groggily woke up. My head felt heavy, as if I was hit by a truck.

_Don't even joke about that, _I mentally chided myself. _Wait... I remember! _I was elated. Apparently I was able to keep my memories of two years ago. Funnily it felt as if those memories were with me moments ago but I can't be fooled. Two years had already passed and the world has ended. I got up and looked around, having discovered that I was in a shop of sort. On top of the cashier's table I saw a pamphlet and knew what it was about.

I pocketed said paper and looked above for the clock. _If this is like the prediction I was shown then it should be about eight o'clock right now. _Sure enough, it was 7:49 AM. _A little bit more and everyone else will wake up including... Naegi. _

I know that name, I know who he was. Naegi Makoto is the sole hope for this place...no for this universe. If anything I need to assist him as much as possible in order to change my fate.

_Not to mention the first murder would happen soon enough, I need to help him in a way that wouldn't make Junko suspicious. If she catches a whiff of what I'm doing I could get my memories erased again. _

So nothing much has changed from the plan, just that I have to be a bit sneakier about it. Well I suppose I have to act fast and for now...

"I need to go greet my new classmates."

A fake smile plastered on my face while my heart was beating madly, I took a step out of the shop and braced for the despairs waiting for me in the coming days.


	3. Chapter 3: Introduction

Hey Seria here! Thank you so much for having read this story I am quite touched that there are those who reviewed in the past chapters! Someone PM'ed me saying that I should increase the amount of words in the story so thank you very much for your support! I will try my best! In this chapter we're finally meeting the rest of the crew! I made some minor tweaks to suit the flow of the story so guys if you like how I did it please review! It'll definitely make my day! Without further ado~

* * *

Chapter 3: Despair is a Super High-School Level introduction

The moment I stepped into the entrance hall I was greeted by an energetic and over the top voice.

"Good day new recruit! May I ask if you are also a new classmate of ours?" His voice boomed in the silent hall.

I nodded in confirmation and he began what sounded like a prepared speech of sort about school regulations and student interaction. Even now I couldn't help but smile at how much alike the Ishimaru of now and the one in my memories are. _Save for the part when I had him killed that is. _

"Your time of arrival is exactly 7:54 AM! Well done in arriving before the late bell rings! Though I would appreciate it more next time if you could arrive ten minutes before the aforementioned time!" He looked at his wristwatch and tutted in an almost annoyed manner but he gave me an approving smile at the very least.

"Huh? We just got here so what's that got anything to do with any late bells ringing? And could you at least introduce yourself first before acting all drill sergeant, look you're confusing the poor girl." The blonde next to him spoke.

_Ah my target. _'Enoshima Junko' or rather, her real identity is Ikusaba Mukuro, the Super High-School Level Soldier. She also happens to be one part of a group known as Super High-School Level Despair, the masterminds behind all of this. Looking at her for the 'first time' it was no wonder the others didn't suspect any foul play that she had swapped places with her younger twin sister. _Thinking about it, she really does have little resemblance to Junko, must be why she killed her off before we got too suspicious. _

However I can't let her die yet. Ikusaba Mukuro plays a vital role in my plan and I need her on my side as soon as possible. _The problem is how to convince her. She lets herself be put under Junko's thumb so much that I don't think she'll betray her that easily. _

I pondered on that fact as she and Ishimaru introduced themselves, with the latter adding "Those clothes are against school rules!" and I looked around at the others. I politely introduced myself to them, noting that Naegi has yet to arrive.

Fujisaki was a bit shy, 'her' voice comes out a bit too soft as she introduced herself. 'She' flushed a bright shade of red when I lightly pinched her cheeks (they are quite soft, I wonder what kind of facial mask she wears). Oowada, the delinquent of the group, merely grunted in response and Togami barely even looked at me, his only affirmation was a nod and the mention of his name "Togami Byakuya." Sayaka greeted me with much enthusiasm befitting an idol, asking me where I got my make-up while Yamada began with his rambling about some Anime or other character that I resembled and Hagakure explained about his fortune-telling skills and promised me a twenty-percent off as a first contact discount.

Leon was over-enthusiastic on his introduction, reminding me that he likes to show off in front of women though I don't dislike that part about him. He didn't say anything about his baseball career so I assume he doesn't like to talk about it. Fukawa remained edgy and pessimistic as always, even to go as far as saying "Get lost!" after she misunderstood when I asked about her braids. Then there were Oogami and Asahina. Oogami towered over me and I admit I was initially frightened by her behemoth size but then she offered me a handshake and smiled, erasing the image of a mindless monster in my mind. Asahina was as ditzy as always, appearing to be quite airheaded at first and couldn't remember my name right, which ended with her writing my name with her finger on her palm so that she won't forget.

Lastly was Kirigiri Kyouko, the most elusive one of us all. She came here after being invited by her estranged father whom she said she despised. _Sadly he got launched into space and is a pile of bones now_. Junko had taken special care to erase more of her memories due to her skills. The Super High-School Level Sleuth was a threat to Junko's plans and as the saying goes; the enemy of my enemy is my friend. However I need to thread carefully with this one, she's much too sharp to lie to and I need to construct a believable story to get her to join me.

As an introduction I merely nodded my head and smiled. "Celes." I said and held out my hand. Kyouko was quiet and stared at my hand before slowly taking it into hers.

"Kirigiri Kyouko." She complied monotonously.

Her handshake was brief and crass as she withdrew back into her silent stance. _It will be tough trying to crack this nut. _I played with my pigtails as I made to stand next to Oowada. He glared as I brushed his arm but I paid it no heed and merely smiled at him. The man snorted and distanced himself from me by a little bit but I closed the distance yet again.

"...What?" He grunted.

"Nothing, it's just that the way you avoided me just now slightly hurts my feelings." I said with a smile.

"Oh, uh...my bad?" He rubbed his neck in an apologetic way. "Waitaminute I don't have crap to say sorry for! I don't even know you!" He crossed his arms and looked away angrily.

I teased the tall man as he tries his best to avoid my pokes when I heard the doors creak open. Naegi Makoto's head popped into view and the rest of his body followed suit.

_Fufufu, finally the lead actor enters the stage. _I mentally slapped myself for that creepy laugh and gave my best surprised/poker-face look.

"Are you...also a new student?!" Hagakure pointed at him in a surprised manner.

As Naegi introduced himself and mentioned how he had fallen asleep I remembered my line in this conversation.

"Things just get stranger and stranger, don't they?"

Yamada then took his cue to ramble and I steered away from the conversation as I begin my 'investigation'. I looked at Kyouko for awhile and noticed the look of confusion on her face. She however erased it and maintained a composed look as quickly as she identified her weakness. Any other day I would have loved to play a game of poker with her but now is not the time. I calculated that it would take me quite a while to earn her trust therefore I shifted my attention to my second objective.

I was surprised to catch the light blush on Ikusaba's face. _Well, well, isn't this something? _I stroke my chin thoughtfully as I watched the girl erase that hint of emotion just like how Kyouko did. She got angry at Ishimaru for scolding Naegi on his tardiness and there was no mistaking the tone that was laced with a small, _very small_, hint of love for why she did so.

"Hey shouldn't we introduce ourselves properly? I bet he'd like to know who we all are!"

_Bless you Asahina for suggesting that. _

"Introductions? This ain't the fucking time for them!" Oowada interjected angrily.

_Really now, must you make my work harder? _"But before we focus on the problem at hand, wouldn't it be best if we come to understand one another? If we don't know what to call each other we won't be able to achieve much progress." I explained, and the others began to discuss it with each other.

_That should do it_, I thought as Sayaka agreed and Ishimaru took the liberty to introduce himself first. The introductions continued onwards until it was my turn.

"H-Hello." Naegi began, his hand ruffling the back of his hair and I knew he was nervous. Well, at least he wasn't as nervous as when he introduced himself to Oogami...

"Delighted to meet you. My name is Celestia Ludenberg."

I could see the wheels turning in his head. _Anyone with a good brain can tell that name is fake of course._

"Celes...Luden...what now?"

I enjoyed toying with him for a good minute before he decided that it would be wise to keep his distance from me for awhile. _But I can't let you do that Naegi-kun. I need you to trust me, the sooner the better. _

As we got acquainted Togami decided to talk about the elephant in the room. Our predicament apparently is still a major problem at hand. As everyone exchanged theories it was Hagakure that mentioned about this being apart of the orientation that finally calmed Chihiro and Leon down. I knew better though, and so did Ikusaba. As anticipated the school bell suddenly rang and the voice I dreaded most to hear started speaking through the monitor.

"Aaa...Aaa...mike test, mike test! This is an announcement! Is this thing on? They can hear me right? Ehh in any case...all new students we would like to start this year's entrance ceremony so please proceed to the soon as possible. And with that I welcome you all!"

It sounded high-pitched, almost cartoonish yet it didn't fail to send chills down my spine. It seems it had the same effect to everyone else (save for one, though she is quite the actress).

Togami maintained his calm mask and went on ahead first, followed by Hagakure and Leon. As Chihiro and Fukawa hurriedly followed the three of them, I decided it was for the best if I change things a bit and stayed behind with the remaining nine.

"That was quite...strange wasn't it?" I said as I looked at them.

"Strange? It was downright messed up, and what's up with that whiny voice?!" Oowada shouted, his anger rising unnecessarily.

"It was kinda' scary if you ask me." Ikusaba said, looking quite pale.

"Guys I don't know if we should do as it says...maybe Enoshima-san was correct and we ended up in some criminal activity..." Naegi inputted, he looked quite scared as well but there was no doubt he was deep in thought about something else too.

"What, you mean you believed what I said just now? I was just spewing random BS Naegi, you don't have to take my word for it!" Ikusaba panicked, sweating as she did so.

"Well nevertheless we have no other choice but to move forward " Kirigiri finally spoken up. She walked towards the door and turned to look at us. "Besides aren't you all intrigued? Don't you want to find out what happened to us?"

Oogami nodded in approval and started walking towards Kirigiri. "As long as we do not proceed we shall forever be engulfed in darkness. Let us make our move."

"Okay..." Asahina said quietly and proceeds with Oogami.

"Very well I suppose but..." I played with my pigtails as they waited for me to finish my sentence. "...do be careful, my instincts tells me we're up for a big surprise. Not a good one at that."

Everyone gulped at my word, their eyes shifting around uncomfortably. Finally it was Ishimaru who broke the tense atmosphere.

"W-Well we must make haste! Come recruits let us not make our teachers and fellow students wait for us!" He clapped his hands and moved to the front of the group. "Now I expect everyone to form a line behind and follow me!"

"For the love of- you have got to be fucking kidding me." Oowada grumbled in frustration.

"I believe he is quite serious Oowada Mondo-dono." Yamada said in an exasperated tone as he moved into the line.

Naegi and I followed suit and Oowada was left still rooted on the spot, not believing the situation he is in.

"Come recruit! If you do not follow us I'll make sure you are punished for not following the order of the head prefect!" Ishimaru's voice boomed throughout the hall .

Oowada let out a "Tch!" and relented, standing uncomfortably behind me. "I'll remember this you square!" He grumbled and crossed his arms.

"Hey can we get a move on already? I want to get the whole ceremony done so I can get my cosmetics, my mascara is starting to run." Ikusaba whined as she looked into her compact mirror.

Ishimaru scanned the line we had formed and gave an approving laugh. "Good, job well done recruits! Let us be off then!" He walked to the front and led us out the door.

* * *

We stopped right in front of the gymnasium as Ishimaru began making a head count. Behind me Oowada still wore a dissatisfied look but he managed to hold his tongue at least. We scrambled around, breaking the formation but Ishimaru didn't seem to mind. In fact, he looked down right nervous himself.

I don't know why but I was somehow drawn to Oowada. Perhaps one part of me, the sadistic part, enjoys teasing him. _Besides it is quite fun to torment a man with such a great pride- ack what am I thinking! Focus! _I shook my head violently.

"Hey uh, you okay?" Oowada asked with a hint of concern in his voice. He must have caught me shaking my head just now.

I immediately put on my 'Liar' face and gave him the most plastic smile I could muster. "Yes I am quite fine. Thank you for asking Oowada-kun."

He looked at me for a few seconds and said "Oh then it's okay I guess." He let out a frustrated sigh after that and looked around the trophy room. "I dunno' about you but doesn't Kibougamine Academy seems a little bit depressing? This place reminds me of a prison I got hollered into once, wait maybe this place is worse than that..." He rubbed the back of his head and grinded his teeth. "I don't like this feeling one bit."

Sayaka who was standing near us suddenly spoke up. "I agree, this place gives out an off feeling. Did you guys notice just now? We walked all the way here and I haven't seen a single person at all." She shuddered.

I nodded my head and rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "Besides that I've been wondering about the steel plates on the windows too. They seemed ominous." Ikusaba had mentioned this just now during their introduction with Naegi but I thought I should remind them about it. It's good if they can keep their guard up as much as possible, and their mental fortitude.

_Especially... _I quietly stare at Sayaka as she talked with Naegi and Ishimaru. _She will be the first one to break I'm afraid. _Although recruiting Kirigiri and Ikusaba was the top priority, I need to make sure I do not neglect the others too much.

_A person can only stand so much pressure. I need to remind myself that this is my reality now and that these people are living, breathing creatures. Things can go awry in a split second if I'm not careful. _

I need to keep a close eye on Sayaka as well as Ikusaba. As I mentioned the latter my eyes travelled to her. Again I was surprised as I caught her staring at Naegi. It was no normal stare either, it had a deeper meaning behind it. _Does our little soldier has a teeny-weeny crush on our luckster? This could be useful fufufu. _

"Fuck it I'm not scared or anything! I'm going in!"

I heard Oowada yell and seconds later the gymnasium door bursts open as Oowada ran inside with Ishimaru yelling at him for running in the hallway and Yamada squeaking something about not to leave him behind. Asahina merely muttered "Boys..." as she and Oogami walked in as well, leaving me, Naegi, Sayaka, Kirigiri and Ikusaba behind.

"Well...shall we?" I said politely as I lead the remaining group in.

"This atmosphere is seriously wrong you know..." Ikusaba mumbled.

* * *

Inside the gymnasium we converged with the rest of the group, completing our set of 'fifteen' students. I saw Togami standing quietly in our corner, staying as far away from the group as possible while Fukawa inconspicuously remained close to him. Oowada was in a heated argument with Ishimaru while Yamada tried his best to quell their anger. Leon apparently had taken a liking to Sayaka and was trying his best to start a conversation with her while the idol was busy trying to get Naegi's attention.

It was quite refreshing, seeing this scene. _During the time I pressed the book into my soul I did not think these little things matter. Now I see that there is more to this world than it was some mere game or Anime. This is real life. _

"Um, Celes-san?"

Naegi's voice snapped me back into reality. I turned and smiled at him. "Yes, how may I help you Naegi-kun?"

"Well you see-"

His words were cut off by the sudden sound of a microphone being tapped on. I gave him a quiet look that meant _we'll talk later _and he silently nodded in agreement. I turned to look in front at the podium, knowing what was going to come out.

"Oy is everyone here? Well I think it's about time we begin!"


	4. Chapter 4: Gratitude

Hey all it's Seria here! Sorry for being away for a bit but I needed the time to sort how the story flow is going from here on out. Anyway I'll keep that short and wow thank you for the reviews I received so far! It's nice to hear something positive from various readers and it surely pumped my happiness level up! Anyway this chapter will feature Mondo-kun a lot (since I actually like him, pompadour and all) and I hope you like the changes I made to the scenario! Do leave a review after reading and tell me what you think! be it a positive review or positive criticism I accept them both graciously! Well without further ado~

* * *

Chapter 4: Despair is a debt of gratitude

All of us watched with morbid curiosity as a strange-looking bear pops up on the stage. He is the very personification of despair, the 'headmaster' of this school, Monokuma.

I glared at the repulsive creature with so much malice that it even made Naegi quiver next to me. I know that I shouldn't do anything that is too suspicious but somehow I can't help to feel nothing _but _hatred for the robotic bear.

"Eh…? A teddy bear…?" Fujisaki mumbled, confusion drawn on her face.

"Hey, I'm not a toy! I'm Monokuma! I'm your… I mean this school's… Headmaster, see!" Monokuma said angrily. "Nice to meet you all!" He added, his previous anger instantly vanished and replaced by that sickeningly light voice.

"Uwaaaaa! That toy just talked!" Yamada screamed.

…I guess even the comical lines of stating the obvious are repeated, even if I had only seen them in my mind. However the mood did went sour fast as Monokuma talked about the possibility of us being held in the school forever (which is not bad at all, considering how things are on the outside) and of course, about _murdering _each other in order to 'graduate'.

"I've had it. Get the fuck out of my way…" Oowada who had been standing in the back row suddenly pushed Hagakure out of his way and made his way to Monokuma.

Of course I knew what was going to happen and immediately put my foot out, causing him to trip and fall on his face (well his hair did help soften his landing). The others watched in horror as Oowada slowly stood up and gave me the scariest glare he could muster while forcefully choking me by the scruff of my collar.

"Bitch you got a death wish or something? Cuz' that ain't funny." His face was as red as a tomato as he said that.

Apparently Oowada was quite physically strong as I found myself levitating a good few inches off the ground. I held his grip as I desperately try to find my footing and failed epically as I dangled around like a caught fish.

"I just…saved your…life…" I wheezed. His grip was really strong and I found myself gasping for air. _Oxygen…low…help… _

"Huuuuuh?!" Oowada shouted as he pulled me in, his face so close to mine I could see the veins throbbing on his temple.

"B-Believe me…it would've been bad…if…you had grabbed him…" I gasped in between breaths. "Try to think…what he could…do…if he is…controlled…by a remote…"

Oowada's face turned from angry to confusion as he processed in what I just said. However his grip was still strong, ensuring I only had a limited amount of air to breathe.

"Chick you're not making sense at all!" He growled.

Suddenly Naegi appeared next to Oowada, grabbing his arm as his face was filled with a mixture of determination and fear.

"O-Oowada-san calm down! You're choking her!"

Oowada looked stunned for a second before his grip loosen, releasing me from that death-vice. I stumbled on the ground and went into a coughing fit as I breathed in heavily.

"Oh it's over already? Here I got all excited thinking our first murder is going to happen right now." Monokuma interjected, his voice filled with disappointment.

Oowada's face turned red with rage again as he remembered his initial objective. "You little-"

He made to lunge at Monokuma once again but Naegi and I managed to hold him down as I grabbed his legs and Naegi grabbed his arms. The scene was chaotic to say the least, Monokuma was laughing evilly while Naegi flailed from left to right by Oowada's swings and I could barely even restrict one of his legs as he dragged us both slowly towards the mechanical bear.

"Oya, oya, this won't do. Undisciplined kids should be punished for not respecting their elders!"

Right after he said those words he suddenly grew silent. A chorus of beeps were suddenly heard and I panicked, knowing full well what was going to happen.

"It's dangerous! Get away from there now!"

I heard Kirigiri yelled from somewhere. Luckily with the combined effort of Naegi and I we managed to pull Oowada backwards as the three of us stumbled a small distance away from Monokuma.

_He's still in range! We'll be blasted into smithereens! _I thought as the beeping grew louder and faster.

Thankfully Oogami came to our rescue as she jumped in between us and the bear. The explosion happened seconds later and I could see Oogami had become our shield, her arms extended to cover all three of us. As the explosion ended I pushed the two boys away and immediately checked up on Oogami.

"Are you alright? Do you feel pain anywhere?" I asked as I looked at her back. Her uniform was severely burnt but the skin underneath was…unharmed. I watched with pure astonishment and awe as the ogre of a woman stood up and brushed her shoulder as if nothing happened.

"I am fine, thank you for worrying about me Ludenberg-san." Oogami said with a smile.

"Please just call me Celes, and I should be the one thanking you for saving us Oogami-san." I gave her a small smile and a short bow. Somehow I should have known that for someone like Oogami Sakura an explosion of that magnitude was like getting bit by a mosquito. Truly the title 'monster' was an understatement of the century as she seemed unperturbed and made her way towards the boys to ask about their condition.

"W-What the…that thing exploded…" Oowada mumbled, his face was pale as he must be imagining the worst case scenario of what could have happened.

"That is what I was trying to say Oowada-kun. You would have been a pile of ashes right now if I hadn't tried to stop you and Oogami-san hadn't shielded us from that explosion." I explained.

That was a lie though. If I had let history run its course then we would not have a close shave like that. Oowada would have simply thrown the bear due to Kirigiri's warning and it would have exploded safely in the air. We would have been much safer then.

_This just goes to show that not all changes I bring can give the best result. One wrong move…even a small one…could cause anyone's death... I was wrong… Damn it… _

I bit my lips as I regretted what I had done. I could have well killed Naegi and Oowada due to my meddling. However my actions were misinterpreted by Oowada as the delinquent stood up and looked at me uncomfortably.

"Hey uh, my bad for choking you and…thanks…" He said the last part softly so that only I could hear.

I felt bad for having _him _apologize to me as it should have been otherwise yet…I couldn't help but feel a sort of sickening happiness for I thought that I could use this to my advantage.

"Yes well, I believe you are in my debt from now on." I said with a small smile.

He looked at me in disbelief before he sighed. "Fuck I guess I am. Fine whatever, I owe ya' one for saving my hide." Oowada shrugged.

I bowed slightly and turned towards Naegi, whom was still on the floor and rubbing his backside. He seemed fine but I offered a hand nevertheless, to help him up. Surprisingly Oowada suddenly rushed in front of me and offered _his _hand instead. His face was red as he apologized to Naegi as well, earning a thankful smile from said boy.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's with the hugs and kisses? What happened to the intense killing sensation I felt just now?!"

Monokuma suddenly reappeared, looking quite displeased with the situation.

"Uwaa he came back!" Yamada screamed.

"Ugh, another one!" Ikusaba grimaced.

Monokuma paid no attention to their comments but instead glared at the three of us with his menacing, glowing red eye.

"This is sick, really, really sick! It's like your friend just gave you a spoiler on the next chapter of Naruto in the Weekly Shonen Jump! How can you three still be buddy-buddy with each other when you should be at each other's throat again!" He growled.

Oowada was quite angry as well as he made his way to the podium. I made to grab his arm as I thought he was going to start his rampage again but he stopped midway, his eyes not leaving the bear.

"You bastard! You really tried to kill us just now!"

"Isn't it natural? Of course I tried to kill you. We can't have anyone breaking the rules, can we? I will let it pass as just a warning this time, but you should be more careful from now on. Bad children who break the rules will be punished, and not with just a spanking!" Monokuma growled.

"Hey, just how many of you are there?" Ikusaba asked.

As Monokuma began explaining of his 'existence' and the security cameras I sneaked a peek at Maizono Sayaka. The girl had acted calm all these while but I could see it in her eyes right now that she was playing with the thought of actually killing one of us. _No surprises who she picked though. _

"Finally, to commemorate your arrival at this school, I'm giving you a little present, it's a student identification card. Isn't it cool?" Monokuma announced.

The bear went around us and stuffed the electronic cards into our hands. I switched mine on and my profile pops up. The others did the same and I could see some of them had a look of awe on their faces (like Fujisaki) while others wore a grim mask.

"Well then, with that our school's opening ceremony is complete! Please enjoy our quiet gruesome school life! See you later!" With that, Monokuma disappeared, leaving all us standing there in a confused state.

The gymnasium was quiet for a while before Ishimaru finally spoke up. "H-Hey everyone… How would you define what happened here now?" He seemed shaken but tried his best to keep calm. _I guess that's a Super Duper High School Prefect for you, trying to keep the order of the group as best as possible. _

"I have absolutely no idea what's going on here…" Leon mumbled. His face was quite pale and he was sweating quite a lot, his nerves getting the better of him.

Fukawa began to panic after he said that and on cue, Kirigiri interjected to calm everybody down. She went through everything that Monokuma had told us and after mentioning about the so-called 'peaceful communal lifestyle inside the school', I added the bombshell of Monokuma's presentation.

"In order to get out of here, we have to 'kill one of our friends', was it?"

Yes that was what I am supposed to say. Granted I should not say that due to the damaging impact it brings on our morale but I am afraid if I change anything more it could bring devastating effects like just now. I could barely listen to the others discussing and arguing about our predicament until Togami said-

"The problem isn't whether it's a lie or not. The problem is…if there's someone among us who takes it seriously."

Hearing that, the whole group fell into uncomfortable silence yet again. Everyone glanced and looked around at each other's faces, trying to see if there is even a hint of malice in them. The air was heavy, hostile even, and I knew that if I don't intervene soon enough we will all fall back into how the story would end. With most of us dead.

_Current number of survivors: 15._

* * *

Chapter 01 – LIVES CUT

The heavy atmosphere continued on until Kirigiri finally spoke up, cutting the heavy atmosphere into pieces.

"So what do you think we should do now? Should we just continue to scowl at each other forever?" Her words prickled like thorns, but it managed to bring everyone back to reality.

I let out a sigh of relief, it was getting quite difficult to breathe in that situation. Everyone began discussing the options that were presented to us and Fujisaki mentioned about checking the rules first before doing anything. I teased Oowada a bit about his earlier explosive reaction and he merely harrumphed and surprising blushed.

_Well that's a sign of things changing I supposed. _I noted that I need to be very observant for the next few days and see all these little signs for extra measures.

"What the fuck's going on with these rules? Do they really think they can control us this way?" Oowada pointed out at the rules angrily.

_This boy in particular I need to keep a close eye on. _"If you think they can't, how about you try going around ignoring them? I'd really like to know what happens when someone breaks them, you see." I said acidly, trying my best to intimidate him.

"But…if he tries anything, Oowada Mondo-dono's number of remaining lives will drop to zero…GAME OVER *_gulp*_" Yamada gulped.

Oowada fell silent after that, processing what we just said. Finally he mentioned something about a 'man's promise' and roared about not dying in this place.

_Good so he finally gets it._ "I can't say I really understand, but for now let's agree to follow the rules?" I smiled at him and was pleased to see that blush creeping up his face again.

"Uh yeah, I guess that's how it has to be…" He mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Sayaka then brought up the soon-to-be unpleasant conversation about the sixth rule (_A "culprit" who kills a fellow student will graduate the school. However, they must not let any other student know they are the culprit) _and I turned my attention towards Kirigiri who looked like she was deep in thought herself.

"Penny for your thought?" I gave her a short bow as she blinked and looked at me. She nodded slightly and motioned for us to move a bit further away from the rest. I complied and walked a short distance with her.

"…Celes-san, was it? What is it that you want to know about?" Kirigiri asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Now I have to trudge carefully. This is not a part of the memory I was given therefore I do not know what significant impact it could bring to the plot. _Let's just make sure I don't slip out anything sensitive._

"I merely wanted to know your thoughts about our situation. Surely you have to admit even as a Super Duper High School something this is an unusual circumstance." I said as sweetly as possible. "_Though I have been in worse…_" I added the last part quietly though I was hoping she might have heard me.

Thankfully she did and she gave me a small smile in return. "I'm sure you have. For my part, I believe we need to ensure that the perpetrator did not manage to sway anyone to act as he wanted them to. It would be nice if everyone could stay sane long enough until we find our way out but…" As she trailed off she looked towards the whole group and onto a certain raging Oowada (Oh Naegi is about to get punched) "…let's just hope nothing unpleasant happens during our short stay here." She finished.

"Oh? You sound as if you're confident that we are able to escape from this little prison of ours." I tried to sound impressed by her words. Behind me I heard the sound of a hard 'wham!' and Sayaka screaming Naegi's name but I ignored them as I continued my conversation with Kirigiri.

Kirigiri crossed her arms and nodded. She looked quite composed as she did so, even managing to convince me of the amount of confidence that she has.

"Yes…and I hope I can ask of you to stay as calm as possible for the remainder of our time here though I suppose I do not need to tell a professional gambler on keeping her cool." Kirigiri added.

_Interesting, so she did a little research on my background before coming here two years ago. Well that's the Kirigiri that I know I suppose. _"Yes, I believe I can manage that much." I said politely and bid farewell, making my way towards the group again.

There were a lot of things I need to accomplish now. I had managed to make contact and establish a sort of 'alliance' with Kirigiri Kyouko and that had gone well. The next one would be a near impossible task in itself – _Convincing Ikusaba Mukuro to join my side. _Maizono Sayaka would have to come later as I believe preventing her from committing murder is a cakewalk than this. To make it simple, how on earth am I supposed to make her believe that her sister would turn on her and kill her?

I pondered on my options and walked around for quite a bit (accidentally stepping on an unconscious Naegi and getting scolded by Sayaka for that), a sense of frustration then built up in my chest as I tried to think of a way to get closer to my target. The opportunity rose shortly afterwards, when Ishimaru suggested for us to split up and look for clues (reminding me of how Fred would ask the Scooby gang to split up).

_If I remembered correctly I would be in the group that sits idly by in the gym with Fukawa and Yamada. Let's change that shall we? _

"…So Kuwata-kun, Hagakure-kun, Enoshima-kun and Fujisaki-kun shall look around the corridors and classrooms! Any objections?" Ishimaru ordered, looking at his classmates for any signs of protest.

I quickly raised my hand and Ishimaru diverted his attention towards me.

"If I may I would also like to look around the classrooms. I think I saw something that might be useful we could use there." I lied.

Ishimaru contemplated on it before giving his approval. "Very well, I will allow that! Good to see you have the initiative Ludenberg-kun!" He said in high spirits. He then turned to the next set of people, allowing me to join Hagakure and the rest as they made their way out of the gymnasium.

"Sorry Kuwata-kun but can I ask for your help to carry Naegi-kun to somewhere else? He's…quite heavy for me to lift alone."

I turned to see Sayaka asking Kuwata for his help. The fiery baseballer agreed excitedly and gave us an apology while promising to be back quickly on the search as he floated (yes, _floated_) to Sayaka. _So a conversation between them afterwards would be a key trigger as to why Sayaka chose to kill him in particular. Interesting…_

I dismiss that line of thought for now and quickly walked next to Ikusaba. The blonde made a peace sign and grinned at me as I gave her a quick bow.

"So Celes-chan you're joining us for a quick look around?" Ikusaba asked as we exited the entrance.

_Well at least she warms up to me real fast._ "Why yes, I thought it might be a good idea since I deplore wasting time in there." I gave her an excuse.

"Same as me. I couldn't stay another minute in that freaky place, I thought I might puke." She sighed and waved her hand in front of her face.

"Well you need to relax a little bit more Enoshicchi, all that stress isn't good for your complexion you know." Hagakure joined in as he laughed at Ikusaba's surprised face.

"Enoshicchi? Not that I mind about the nickname though…but seriously don't you two think we're in a seriously bad position? I mean look at where we are, we're in some freaky school/prison thingy with no way out. I seriously feel like crying right now." Ikusaba whined.

The three of us discussed about it all the way until we reached the classrooms area, where my plans are now in motion.

"I think we should split up here, one group look around the corridors while the other inspects the classrooms." I suggested while looking at the other two.

"Good idea Celes-chan but how do we split the group up?" Ikusaba asked as she played with her hair.

_Bless you for saying that._ "I think I would be more comfortable with you Enoshima-san. We can search the classrooms while Hagakure-san looks around the corridors. I'm sure it'll be easier for Kuwata-san to join up with him later." I explained.

The other two said 'ooh!' in unison and nodded their heads.

"Yes…Yes I understand! Alright I'll go solo for now and after our search is complete we'll meet back here before going to the cafeteria!" Hagakure agreed and dashed off as I waved goodbye.

The two of us stood there for a while before Ikusaba spoke up.

"So like, should we get started too?"

I nodded and we entered Classroom 1-B. As we looked around the classroom Ikusaba checked the steel plates on the windows and I sat on a desk behind her.

"So what's this thing you said that could help us? Is it in here? What is it anyway, a cell-phone or something?" Ikusaba asked as she turned to the next window.

_All or nothing now I guess_. I inhaled and exhaled several times before adjusting my posture, trying to emit an air of calmness as much as possible.

"Yes, that, well…actually it's more like information if I were to describe it." I began.

The blonde still had her back to me as she humoured my chat. "Oh really, what's it about? The school?"

_All or nothing, all or nothing. _I got off the desk and walked towards her, my mouth close to her ear as I whispered;

"No, it's about you…and your twin sister. I know who you are, _Mukuro-san_."


	5. Chapter 5: Soldier

Hello again! It took a bit of time to properly write out this scene (as it is not in the canon plot) and finally it's done! I hope you guys like how I lay it out and for now, I would like to especially thank all my reviewers for their support so far!

A special shout-out of thank you to these fellows! - Fiorella Luciana, Togami4ever, Makoto Naegi (previously DinRose), Marionette-Rui, Mr. Monobear and Ibuki Mioda, Kyouko-kun, zackarov, daydreamer1008 and AzureKing! - thank you guys for your compliments and constructive criticism!

XSPOILERSX

This chapter is mostly a negotiation between Celes and Mukuro therefore those who have been reading this fic with no prior knowledge of the series I implore yet again to be careful of spoilers ahead! (Unless you're okay with that). Do leave me a review after finish reading this and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear your thoughts and though I feel slightly embarrassed to admit this I feel happy every time I read that someone finds my fic to be awesome(I said it, awesome yeahhh!) I am still learning how to write and hope to one day be able to continue the fics that my sis had left me! Well without much further ado, here's the fifth chapter~

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Chapter 5: Despair is a Super Duper High School Soldier

As the words left my mouth the atmosphere immediately changed. The air grew colder and I swore the colors around the room became darker. Ikusaba froze on the spot but I could imagine the look on her face right now. Suddenly she released a huge sensation of bloodlust that it wasn't even funny how I managed not to recoil in fear of her presence.

"How…did you know?" She asked quietly and her head slowly turned to look at me. I almost screamed as I came face-to-face with a demon-like Ikusaba. She was terrifying, that is all my mind could think of as her eyes were wide with deep, pure and unsaturated evil. There was no hint of the Enoshima Junko she had tried to disguise as she was not smiling anymore, her facial expression made a complete 180 degrees turn to cold and severe-looking. I knew then and there that I am now facing the beast of the group; The Super Duper High School Soldier Ikusaba Mukuro.

"I knew-"

My words were cut off as she made a sudden twist and her hands quickly made their way to my neck. She strangled me with such inhuman strength that I thought I had died for a second there.

"No- Junko must not know…She can't find out that I failed her…She'll leave me- She'll say I'm a failure-" She rambled on, her eyes flashing fear and lunacy.

Her face contorted with rage and disgust as she suddenly bit my neck. I gasped and tried to push her back but she bit deeper, sinking her teeth into my flesh.

_She's-She's trying to rip my throat out! _I mentally screamed. I flailed around and managed to grab one of her twin-tails and pulled on it with all my might. Her blonde wig fell on the floor, revealing her dark, ebony hair.

"No- NO!" She screamed and released me from her fangs. She scrambled on the floor and seized the hairpiece, clutching onto it as if it was her life.

As soon as I managed to escape I violently backed away from her, pushing down the desks and chairs behind me. I gripped my neck as blood oozed down my hand. _This girl is crazier than I thought. Had I been a second late I would've been lying on the floor now with my throat in her mouth. _I shuddered at the thought as my face grew paler.

I watched as Ikusaba puts on the wig again and glared at me with such intense anger that I recoiled this time around. She staggered back to her feet and swayed left to right as she slowly makes her way towards me.

"Wait Ikusaba-san I'm just here to talk!" I said in a panicked tone. I need to convince her soon because I'm running out of time!

"I have to kill you- Junko won't forgive me if I don't kill you- The plan… The plan will fail if I let you live. You know- She knows that you know who I am- I can't let you live, I can't." She mumbled incoherently. She looked perfectly like a psychopath as she suddenly pulled out a pocketknife from her uniform and was now a good few inches away from me.

"Listen to me Ikusaba-san, please! Junko doesn't know yet!" I shouted hoarsely and she stopped in her tracks, the knife too stopped right before my left eye.

"What…What do you mean Junko doesn't know…She saw…She must have seen it on the camera…" She asked, her tone icy and intimidating.

"Believe me she saw nothing. Right now she is busy controlling Monokuma in the cafeteria!" I said frantically. _Won't be for long now until she goes back to the surveillance camera! I need to be fast!_

"What…Why did you say that…How…" She looked confused. Her hands were trembling and I could see that sliver of hope that I might be able to make it out of this classroom alive.

"I'll elaborate more after this. Right now we have to clean this place up and make it look as if nothing happened. I swear to you that you will get your answer and many more after you follow me." I said quickly.

She grew quiet for a while as my heart thumped wildly, hoping with all my might that she would comply with my request. After a few seconds she nodded briefly and withdrew her pocketknife. I let out a sigh of relief and was surprised to see her offer her hand to help me up. I took it and was forcefully pulled upwards, her head immediately resting on my shoulder.

"If you're lying…I will kill you in the most grotesque manner you could ever imagine Celes." Ikusaba whispered into my ear.

I gulped involuntarily and nodded numbly. She stepped away and began putting the desks and chairs back into place. I followed suit and we managed to make it look squeaky clean in under a minute.

_Good, at least we beat the time and by now Monokuma must be half-way finishing his explanation to Sayaka. _I looked at Ikusaba, who was still staring at me with curiosity, and I said quietly; "Follow me to the bathhouse's changing room and I will explain everything."

She frowned for a moment before nodding her head. We exited the classroom (careful enough to give Hagakure and Leon the slip) and proceeded into the changing room. It was a short walk away into the dormitory area and my heart stopped for a second when we almost bumped into Ishimaru. Thankfully the prefect was transfixed with something else (muttering "What a great discovery!") and walked past our hiding spot without a second look. We finally reached the bathhouse entrance and slipped inside, hopefully still unnoticed by Junko.

The vast interior of the room gave a soothing feeling and I knew we would not be interrupted as there was a 'No Entry' sign in front (we ignored it of course). I carefully walked to the middle of the room, giving me enough space to move around in the case Ikusaba started going berserk again. The girl was smart too, placing herself between myself and the exit which effectively leaves me no room to attempt an escape.

"Why here?" She finally spoke up, her arms crossed while she frowned at me.

I lightly traced a circle around my chin with my finger and looked at her thoughtfully. "You know as well as I do that there are no surveillance cameras here. This is the safest place for us to discuss our…circumstances."

"The question is how did you know there are no cameras here? By right only Junko and I should know that. None of you have actually made your way here before the entrance ceremony so you can't play the 'I've been here before' card, so spill." She said monotonously.

_My, my, isn't she the clever one? It looks like I've been underestimating my dear classmates after all these while. Good physique and brains, I want you even more now Ikusaba-san fu fu fu. _I lightly shook my head to discard the cynical evil in my mind and gave my most serious look (that I could fake of course) to her.

"First of all, did you know where in this school I woke up at? It was the school store." I decided to continue on as she gave me a confused look. "As I rose from my slumber I picked up a peculiar-looking coin on the floor that has a bear face on it. I held the coin in my hand and as I checked my surrounding I discovered an odd machine on top of the counter called the 'Monomono Machine'. Though I was dazed my mind was as sharp as ever and I was ever so lucky when the coin fitted in nicely with the machine's coin slot. Now imagine what I retrieved from within the capsule Ikusaba-san, something that only two people in this entire school could have gotten their hands on in their first try."

Her eyes grew wide as she puts two and two together (of the puzzle I wanted her to solve anyway) and her voice was hoarse as she quietly spoke, "You got the Escape Switch didn't you?" She stared at me with awe as she made that revelation.

_Clever girl indeed, thank you for playing along. _"Ding ding ding! For that answer you've won the grand prize!" I mocked, giving her an evil grin that caused her to shiver. "Yes _Mukuro-chan_, I got it. It jolted me out of the amnesiac-state I was in and made me remember that it has been two years since I enrolled and not _just this morning _as everyone else was made to believe in."

I mentally slapped myself at the pleasure I felt from seeing the colors drain from the girl's face. She was absolutely pale and her eyes were like a dead fish's. She was crumbling from all of this.

"You remembered…" She mumbled as she pushed herself onto the lockers, holding onto them for support.

"Didn't think I could manage such a feat did you?" I walked around the room and sat on the bench, feeling more confident as I felt that I was taking over the conversation. I felt superior and dominative, seeing her in a state of such disarray gave me pleasure.

Ikusaba looked up to my face in shock and slowly slid onto the floor. "Junko…she puts that thing in there as a joke. She said it would be delightful if the last surviving couple of students could get their hands on that as she watches their faces when the truth came to light…" She mumbled.

"I bet that was what she wished for all along. Sadly it would be a huge insult to my title as a Super Duper High School Gambler if I couldn't rely on my luck at such a game. Well I suppose Naegi-kun might be able to contend with me, what with that astounding luck of his…" I intentionally mentioned Naegi's name and was delighted by the result I received from her reaction.

"Naegi-kun…Does he know? Did you tell him- I saw you two whispering something before the ceremony-" Ikusaba suddenly panicked, her voice rising up.

"No he doesn't and I haven't told him yet." I answered coolly as I lifted my leg and rested it on the other.

"Really-"

"But I plan on doing so after all of us convene in the cafeteria. After all this has something to do with our lives." _I said it, the bomb. _I gulped inwardly as I watched her react as I had predicted.

Ikusaba rose to her feet and gave me the demonic look she had on earlier, her hand reaching into her uniform for the pocketknife.

"As I thought I can't let you live. You'll get in Junko's way and destroy her plan. If I kill you I'm sure she'll praise me and Naegi-kun won't know anything-"

"Is it alright for you to treat Naegi-kun this way?" I interrupted her for the second time though this time I was much calmer. _Naegi is the key in this conversation and if I can play it right… _"Didn't you have a crush on him since way before? I want to know if you think it is fine to play around with his life and your friends."

"That's not- I'm not playing with him!" She argued as she looked at me angrily.

"Oh? Then tell me are you going to spare his life then? I thought the fourteen of us were supposed to murder each other while you two laugh in the background." I said sharply, glaring back at her.

"I- If I ask Junko she'll surely allow Naegi-kun to live…" She said.

I wondered for a moment if she was trying to convince me or herself. She sounded doubtful and I knew why. She knew her sister better than I do.

Suddenly I felt a surge of anger rising inside of me. I stood up and roughly grab her by the shoulders, slamming her into the lockers.

"Wake up Mukuro-chan! There is no way in hell Junko's going to let Naegi live! You know her, she revels in despair. Can you be certain she'll release him if you asked nicely? No, I doubt it. She'll kill him just to enjoy the despair you'll have on your face when she does."

I gripped her shoulders harder but she did not even wince. Her only reaction however, was to bite the bottom of her lips and staring adamantly at the floor. This only caused my anger to rise up.

"I see how it is, you're on Junko's side for this aren't you? I bet you get a kick out of seeing the person you love killed right in front of your eyes. So what do you want me to do? Should I manipulate someone to kill him? I saw a sword somewhere at the gym, I'll bet his inner organs would decorate the cafeteria splendidly after he's cut open. Or maybe I should make him kill someone instead. Say that I heard someone planned to kill his precious Sayaka and a little bit of exaggeration here and there I'm sure he'll be beyond reasoning and we'll have a nice dead body on our hands by tomorrow morning. He'll be executed I guess judging from how Junko handles things and either way he'll die anyway-"

"WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Ikusaba suddenly screamed.

The room fell silent as I watched large tears streamed down her face. I looked into her eyes and saw the agony and desperation behind them. It was painful to watch. _She is my friend too after all…_

"Tell me Celes…What am I supposed to do…_*sob*_ I can't betray Junko…She's my sister…but I-_*hic* _I can't kill Naegi-kun o-or watch him die. I don't want him to die but- I don't know what I'm supposed to do…" She sobbed, looking positively lost.

I felt pity for the girl. She was always the weak link, either to Junko or us. A perfect killing machine she was but she was terrible at managing her emotions. She was raised to follow and obey orders, not to go against them. Without the 'guiding hand' of her sister she was like a deer in headlights, unable to think for herself.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I don't want any of our friends to die _*hic*_ but I don't want Junko to leave me. I don't want her to hate me. Someone…Anyone, tell me…What am I supposed to do _uuuuh_." She cried, dropping the pocketknife and I felt her body sag, as if her energy was sucked out of her.

Unconsciously I hugged the girl, stroking her back and shushing her gently. It was out of character for me to do so but she _is _my friend. Perhaps I have gone too far but I cannot help it. _It was necessary._

Ikusaba sobbed quietly into my shoulder as she lets out her pent-up emotions. "I'm _sowwy_, I'm _zo_, _zo_ _sowwy_." She apologized, her voice coming out nasally and high.

"Mukuro-chan…I have a proposal." I finally spoke up.

Her only response was a hiccup and I assumed it meant that she was listening.

"Will you not team up with me instead? Now hold on don't get agitated." I said as I felt her body tensed up. "Hear me out first."

I felt her nodding her head and I felt slightly relieved about it. "If we were to team up we can ensure that none of the others would get the inclination to kill. I know it'll be going against what Junko wants." I said that quickly for she tensed up again. "But isn't that for the better? We're all friends aren't we? Good friends, and we shouldn't kill each other. Isn't it wrong in the first place and don't you see how screwed up it is that we're forced to do so?"

"But that's…what Junko wants…" Ikusaba whispered.

"I know, but the question is what do _you _want Mukuro-chan? Have you ever thought about yourself for once? Your needs and wants and even your future…_with Naegi-kun_."

I could feel her heartbeat rising from my words and I knew it was working. "Just imagine…If you two grew closer to each other and even if he found out who you really are, don't you think he'd think of you as some sort of a tragic saint to betray your sister and help him out? He'd grow fonder of you…even more so than that idol and you can finally confess how you really feel about him." It was like the devil's whisper and even I was slightly scared at how I sounded, at how twisted I can be if I tried.

"I-If I do that, then won't it be bad for Junko? She'll get killed if everyone finds out." Ikusaba whispered back.

"No, I won't allow that." I said adamantly, surprising her in the process. "I will save all of our friends. Naegi, you…and Junko. No matter how cruel or evil she can be she is my friend. I will find a way to save her from the despair she so readily seeks." I spoke with much conviction. I was telling the truth after all, I care about Junko as much as I care about the others.

Ikusaba seemed to contemplate for a moment before breaking off from the hug. She wiped the tears on her face and looked at me with a sad face.

"I… Thank you for the offer Celes but I can't…I can't betray Junko." She said sadly.

_Damn it! Was it not enough? _"…I see." I sighed, disappointed with the outcome.

"But…I won't try to kill you for knowing and…I'll keep this a secret from her." She said as she wiped her nose.

_Oh? This is something. _"That…Thank you Mukuro-chan." I played along, though I was still dissatisfied with this. "Likewise I won't reveal you to the others as well… I'll leave it up to you to decide if you want to tell them, just know that I'll be there to support you when you do."

She smiled at my words, mouthing a silent 'thank you' and slowly walked towards the exit. She stopped on her tracks and looked back at me.

"You know…two years we've known each other and I never knew you were this nice…and that was the first hug you've ever given me." She rubbed her arm, slightly embarrassed by what she said.

_Well technically I'm not the Celes you knew, or maybe I am but I don't know that since I lost our precious memories together. _"Maybe this is just how I really am underneath all the lies Mukuro-chan." I smiled politely.

She chuckled a bit and returned my smile. "Well yeah, you are the Queen of Liars after all so it's hard to read you and…" She trailed off, giving me a contemplative look.

"And?" I tilted my head slightly, looking at her curiously.

"I don't know since when have you actually called me _Mukuro-chan_." She chuckled.

_Crap so I really wasn't that close to her in high school? _"…I felt it was appropriate, since we're friends." _Perfect excuse, perfect execution. Buy it please. _

"Mhm, maybe…well, I should go…Junko might get suspicious…" She waved an awkward goodbye and left me alone in the changing room with my thoughts.

I stood there for a good minute before I kicked at the bench and let out a frustrated cry. _Damn it! So close! _I growled and bit my thumb in frustration. I paused and felt the anger drain away as a feeling of anxiety replaced it. _This isn't me, I don't get angry all the time and I certainly am not this twisted that I feel elated for manipulating people, much less my friends. What is happening to me? Is this the side-effect Neferiari mentioned? About losing myself and the new personality replacing me? _

I was scared of that prospect but at the same time I know this manipulative side of me is helping me out a lot. I constantly reminded myself that I am not just _me _anymore- I am Celes, and I need to get it together to survive in this world.

I entered the bathing area and used the mirror for a bit, checking the extent of my neck injury and hid it with my neckpiece. After making sure the blood was washed away from my neck I exited the bathhouse as well, feeling slightly relieved but I let out a sigh nonetheless. I was quite disappointed I did not manage to turn Ikusaba to my side.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A student breaking the school rules?"

My blood ran cold as I recognized the voice behind me. I turned to see Monokuma with a puzzled look on its face.

"Didn't you see the 'No Entry' sign Celes-kun? It's absolutely forbidden to go in there! It's not ready yet, what if you hurt yourself while washing that heavy make-up of yours or worse…" Its voice was absolutely evil. I knew it for I am sure it was the same devilish tone I had in my voice.

Before I could think of an excuse another voice interjected into our conversation.

"I was the one who told her to check the bathhouse. I thought there might be something inside there."

I turned to see Togami Byakuya with his arms folded and looking at Monokuma with an imperious glare.

"Oya, oya, Togami-kun this is a surprise. So are you saying you made a classmate of yours go into the forbidden bathhouse in your stead? That's evil! Quite evil! So you planned for her to slip and break her neck or something right? Well too bad that would've been counted as a suicide instead!" Monokuma said with absolute glee.

However Byakuya remained composed and merely adjusted his spectacles. "Think what you want but I remembered seeing in the school rules that 'we are free to explore the school' whenever we wish. She didn't break any rules and neither did I."

_Fiuh~ I might fall in love with this guy. _I stared at him in amazement at how easy he handled Monokuma.

"Ehh, I suppose you're right…I'm a sad bear but I can't punish someone for following my rules! Okay then, carry on and be good kids!" With that he disappeared, leaving Byakuya and I alone.

I looked at him and he stared back at me, his calm demeanor radiated absolute strength in his wake.

"…Why did you help me out?" I asked him.

He merely shuts his eyes and shrugged. "I see no gain in letting the bear do as he pleases." Byakuya turned to leave as he said that.

"Regardless, thank you for your assistance." I bowed politely as he harrumphed.

Byakuya made his way to the school area before stopping, giving me one last look. "…You should be careful about people overhearing your conversations in there next time. You two are too loud for God's sake."

With those final words he left me in a state of surprise and again, amazement.

_He had heard our entire conversation. He knows. _

However instead of feeling dread I felt only a sense of pleasure and excitement from this revelation, as if the game itself had gotten more interesting.

"I really might fall in love with him _fu fu fu_."


	6. Chapter 6: Cafeteria

Hey guys it's Seria here! First and foremost thank you so much for the reviews, follows and faves. I really appreciate it! To show my gratitude, I'll answer all the reviews that are posted for chapter 5! And oh, there's not much action in this chapter, only certain important discussions that shall alter the fate of the students!

AzureKing - Don't worry one way or another Celes shall work something out to get Ikusaba on her side!

Makoto Naegi - Thank you for the compliment! I am still a novice so please be kind to me and assist in any way you can! Yes Togami heard it all! The question would be what he'll do with the information? Hm hm hm!

Fiorella Luciana - Thank you for your loyalty to the story so far! Yes there is a slight hope the two will join Celes...or get in her way! Dun dun dun!

Togami4ever - Yesss he finally got some screen time XD

Charlotte Eraviel - Yes I plan to develop their relationships as slowly as possibly (in other words, as realistic as possible!) thanks for the review!

zackarov - Not necessarily! And I will change things a bit so they'll fit into the storyline but the duty of New Celes shall be to be the savior of the group...if she wants to dun dun dun! Thanks for the review!

Takako Tokushima - Thank you for your review and assistance in spotting my weakness! I'm glad we had a nice conversation in the PMs and I do hope you'll continue reading this fic!

Aaaand without ado, this is the sixth chapter of Second Life!

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Chapter 6: Despair is a discussion in the cafeteria

After our little 'discussion' Ikusaba and I decided to return back to checking the steel plates covering the windows in the classrooms. The atmosphere was a little awkward and tense though just to keep up appearances we decided to talk about my past.

"No freaking way, you actually played mahjong against Shigeru Akagi*? No let me rephrase that, you _won _a freaking mahjong game against THAT Akagi?" Ikusaba said, looking quite impressed.

"Why yes, it was a very intense game you see, I had unwittingly staked my life on the line and I won by a hair's breadth. I think even the people watching our game was left dumbfounded when they saw that I won." I said in a mild tone.

Ikusaba merely stare at me in amazement as we knock our knuckles on a few of the plates, which made a 'gong!' sound (well, we got some time to waste). Afterwards we regrouped with Hagakure and Kuwata (who looked mighty please, for reasons that eludes us) and shared what we found out.

"So, no dice on the plates coming off huh?" Kuwata sighed as he ruffles his spiky hair.

"Not unless you have a flamethrower or at least a tank, no." I shook my head.

The four of us looked at each other and sighed in unison. We decided to end our investigation and regroup with the others in the cafeteria. As we were walking I decided to get to know Kuwata better, for his sake and Sayaka's.

"Kuwata-kun you're a famous baseball player right? I remember reading an article about you in a magazine before coming here…" I asked him, an innocent smile latched on my face.

Kuwata was caught off-guard with the sudden question and nearly stumbles on his feet. He gave a shaky laugh and ruffled his hair again. "Yikes you saw that huh? Man, Naegi asked me the same thing this morning. This is embarrassing but yeah I am, or I _was _anyhow."

_I'll bet, seeing as how you throw away your God-given gift to chase a farfetched dream. _"Oh, what's with the past tense? Not confident in making into this school's baseball team?" I lightly joke, wanting to see his reaction towards that little remark.

"_Puhleeeaaaseee _I can get into any team I want to, even in the major leagues! It's just that…well…I actually hate baseball! Yeah I said it!" He shouted in an aggravated tone.

"That is quite a surprise, I'd imagine you as a stereotypical high school sportsman who'd practice all day and shout something along the line of 'fighting spirit!' and whatnot." I covered my mouth with my hand in an attempt to show my surprise.

"Hell no! Do I look like the baseball dudes in a Manga or Anime? Seriously they forced me to shave my head y'know? The worst part of it is that I had to maintain my normal hair colour and that ain't cool at all! Well now that I'm in Kibougamine I won't have to do those lame things again haha!" He laughed happily, as if he had achieved something noteworthy.

"They don't have any rules against unruly hairstyles and bleached hairs in this school's baseball team?" I was really enjoying myself playing around with Kuwata. _Hmm, must be my sadistic side resurfacing._

I was amused by his reaction as he made a fake-choking sound and showed a thumbs-down sign. The boy was indeed a natural genius in said sport but in actual fact he prefers to be known as a musician. Whether he is indeed a 'damn good' vocalist as he proclaims I will never know if I allow Sayaka to kill him later on.

As Kuwata rambles on about his soon-to-be concerts I noticed the small smile Ikusaba had on her face and decided to walk next to her as I left Hagakure to handle the redhead. Hagakure himself looks mighty please with Kuwata's plans, probably because he thinks he might be able to make some big bucks with it.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I whispered to her.

She was still smiling as she looks at Kuwata first, as if to make sure the boy was not listening, and said in a low tone. "Well y'know it reminds of the time when he decided to stage a live concert on the school field. Around last year I think? Him and Naegi-kun got scolded quite severely by the teachers after that remember?" She chuckled softly and continues looking at Kuwata with some sort of fondness.

I merely nodded and said nothing as I do not have the memory in reality. This was a part of the lost memories to which even Neferiari could not give me. I knew that if I wanted the full story I have to play the Monomono Machine and get the Escape Switch myself but somehow that seems highly unlikely. _Although I could trick Naegi into trying it out as well and who knows? Our combined luck might get us that infernal thing. _I thought about that prospect and decided to stuff it first for future plans.

"Until now I still don't know how he managed to rope Oowada-kun and Fujisaki-kun into it." Ikusaba continued until we finally reached the cafeteria (thank god, at least she won't get suspicious about the truth).

As I had already known, the others have already arrived there with the exception of Kirigiri Kyouko. I gave Ikusaba a polite bow and proceeded to join the little group of Naegi and Sayaka. I had been wondering all this time as to why I would mention her on a first name basis and as I look at her charming smile I thought that I must have been particularly close to her in the past.

"Naegi-kun, Maizono-san." I bowed slightly at the two.

"Ah Celes-san!" Naegi greeted me and I saw he gave an involuntary shudder as he looked at me. _Fu fu fu silly boy, I am your greatest ally after all._

"Celes-chan! Oh please just call me Sayaka! Maizono-san sounds so formal and I've been trying to get Naegi-kun to call me that too!" She said that in such a cute manner that even I almost fell for her. She gave Naegi a cute pout and the boy looked away with a heavy blush on his face.

"W-Well, to suddenly call Maizono-san that is kind of…" He trailed off as Sayaka gave him another pout and I watched the two arguing lightly like a married couple.

"Sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds but…" I said as Naegi turned a brighter shade of red and Sayaka giggled happily at the comment "…you two seem quite close. Do you happen to know each other before this?"

Sayaka squeals in happiness at the question and began her story of their middle school years. I was quite intrigued by how Naegi had caught her attention, that such a small action by one boy could sway the heart of the most sought after girl in the country. I listened intently at how Sayaka praises Naegi and I watched how her eyes glimmer with adoration as she spoke.

_I guess... this part of Sayaka is true. She did have a crush on Naegi after all, even if she is going to throw him under the bus later. LOL. Speaking of crushes…_

I quietly turned to look behind me. I was quite surprised to see some sort of flame covering Ikusaba, intensifying as Sayaka teased Naegi around. Her blonde wig was floating around her head and Hagakure (who was the unfortunate one to notice her) cowered in fear as the flames began crackling. _I'm being serious here, she is ACTUALLY on fire! How on earth is that even possible? Is this part of the world's law or something? I mean, this is comic-level situation, if I raise my anger enough like her could I possibly turn into a Super Saiyan as well? _

Well enough about the jokes, I suppose something of this level is not enough to scare me anymore. It simply means that I am indeed playing by this world's rules and as I will soon quote-

"I will have to adapt to this place to survive _fu fu fu_." I said quietly with a devious smile on my face.

Ishimaru then called the three of us to join him at the long dining table for a meeting. I slowly made my way to the table and saw Togami giving me a discerning stare. I politely bow and gave him my famous innocent smile as I joined the others (I could feel him still staring behind me though).

I sat in between Hagakure (who seemed to have regained his composure, the scaredy-cat) and Asahina. The swimmer greeted me with an enthusiastic "Yaho!" and seemed to struggle for a while to say something else (no doubt she forgot my name).

"Celes." I helped her out and she clapped her hands together while giving me an 'Ah! That's it!' look.

"It seems everyone is here! I propose we start the meeting!" Ishimaru stood up and hit the table to gain our attention. "On the agenda, report what we found in our investigations, and try to make the most out of the information! Let's all work together to find a way out of this place as soon as possible!" He began in a business-like tone.

_Well, looks like I can daydream for a bit until my turn comes… _I stifled a yawn as Ikusaba asked about Kirigiri and I was slightly amused by Fujisaki's panicked expression._ Waitaminute, speaking about Fujisaki… _I suddenly realized a minor change in the plot as I shift my attention to the young programmer.

"Excuse me, Fujisaki-san." I raised my hand, interrupting one of Ishimaru's rants (he looked quite displeased about it).

"H-Hai, umm…Celes-san?" 'She' replied, looking like a scared animal as she looks at me.

"Where were you when we investigated the classrooms and corridors? If I remember correctly you were supposed to come with Kuwata-kun, Hagakure-kun, Enoshima-san and I to investigate." I asked in a sweet, innocent voice.

It had been nagging at me all day long after my little classroom scene, that I had somehow forgotten about one tiny detail. Seeing said 'tiny detail' now I had only just remembered that 'she' had become an unknown factor in the timeline.

"Oh, umm…I was accompanying Yamada-kun in the gym…" 'She' said meekly. "I-I wanted to join you at that time but Yamada-kun suddenly called me and we kind of got side-tracked discussing about our favourite games…" 'She' added as she gave me an apologetic look.

"So you guys holed up together doing absolutely nothing the whole day? What the hell?" Ikusaba said angrily, causing Fujisaki to begin tearing up and apologizing frantically.

The scene turned quite noisy afterwards, with Yamada coming into Fujisaki's defence (he began rambling about meeting his 'Soul' partner and some Anime) and Oowada barking at Ikusaba to back off. It was only when Ishimaru shouted for order did the noise subdued. Meanwhile I was busy thinking about what Fujisaki had said and the impact 'she' revealed about this world (I seem to be making quite a lot of revelations today).

_So during the time I volunteered to join the search Fujisaki was supposed to be in it. However 'she' was called out by Yamada and instead 'she' stayed behind. So if I'm correct, which I always am, then she must have swapped roles with me. What was this called again? Causal and effect? _

Naegi had begun interviewing everyone about what they uncovered (seriously, is this whole plotline dependant on Naegi?) while I was busy playing with my pigtails (having nothing better to do while I wait for my turn to speak up, and they are clip-ons mind you) when I caught Togami staring at me yet again. I promptly decided to ignore him and I followed the flow of the conversation, giving my thoughts and comments every now and then. Finally Naegi had collected all the pieces of the puzzle and I let out a sigh of relief, feeling mentally exhausted by today's event.

_Ah, I almost forgot… _I let out a small giggle that caused Fukawa to start the flow of yet another important conversation. Seeing her having a nervous breakdown was not amusing in the least but at least the plot was moving. As I began my speech on the importance of adaptation I stopped myself, having cooked up an idea on the spot.

"Huh? Well don't go all quiet on us all of a sudden. You were saying stuffs about adapting…?" Oowada's voice brought me to my senses and I gave him a dark look that made him shudder (so even the big delinquent is afraid of me).

I told them about the idea to add another rule regarding the Night Time. As all of them agreed upon it, with the exception of Kirigiri and Togami of course, I began my plan to enforce the newly-made rule.

"…and with that I would also like to propose for a security detail." I smiled as I looked around, seeing their confused faces.

"What is it which you are asking for… Celes?" Oogami inquired. I was inwardly happy that she had decided to call me on a first-name basis though.

"I know that this is asking a bit too much but for the rule to work I would like to ask that for every night between ten o'clock in the evening to two o'clock in the morning that we have someone patrolling the dormitory." I explained.

"May I ask for what purpose though?" Kirigiri raised her hand as she asked me in that monotonous voice of hers. Though she asked me that question I could see the look in her eyes that she agrees with the plan.

"It's to ensure that the rule isn't broken. I know it's tempting enough to walk around at night but in order for the others to sleep soundly I would like to assign two persons per night to watch over us. We'll rotate the people assigned so that they can get some rest the following night."

"Uh, shouldn't we patrol until the morning then? I mean if we already know that the time is fixed then wouldn't it be useless?" Naegi suggested.

"It would just cause a lot of stress if someone were to stay up all night to do something so tedious. No, the guards are just to ensure that no one sneaks out of bed as soon as the Night Time starts. They will also be in charge to check that everybody's doors are locked for extra safety. Another thing… I would like to ask of everyone to NOT answer the door if someone is knocking during the Night Time. I don't think any trouble could arise if everyone simply abides by the rule that has been proposed." I finished and sat down on my seat, feeling quite pleased with myself.

Everyone paused to think about the idea for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. It was not exactly a fool-proof plan but it was better than just proposing a rule that I know some people will break. Although I said it was just to ensure their safety I actually caused any would-be killers to have an even harder time to kill someone during the Night Time. Their movements would be restricted and it would be next to impossible to gain access into another person's room (I am referring to Sayaka of course).

"So…if we follow through with this plan we can be damn sure that nobody can get killed right? But what if the guards themselves decided to kill someone? Won't it make things easier for them since they can alibi each other out?" Togami suddenly spoke up, his icy tone directed at me.

I was expecting that kind of question actually. "It won't do them any good…would it Monokuma?"

The second I said its name the bear suddenly pops out of nowhere. The group let out a startled cry as the bear jumped onto the table, giving us a maniacal look.

"Gupyaa it appears!" Yamada screamed.

"Yo ho ho, it seems that you kids are having fun! So I'm hearing you want to team up and commit a mass murder ey?" He said happily as he spun around.

"Nobody said that you sick bear!" Asahina cried out as she glared at the bear angrily.

"Eh, well suit yourselves but too bad it won't work anyway! Only one person may graduate out of here and that's the law! Even if you work together the person who swung the killing club will be the only graduate you hear me!" He said angrily.

"So what you're saying is even if we have an accomplice he or she would not gain anything, am I correct?" Togami stated calmly as he adjusted his spectacles.

"It seems you do have a brain inside there Togami-kun! Yes, the killer will be set free but the accomplice will…upupu let's not ruin the surprise shall we? Well I got to go now, happy killing kids!" With those words Monokuma left us to think about this new information.

I stayed silent as I watched the others discussed about it, some were grim while some looked relieved.

"So even if we helped someone out to kill another person we won't be able to share in the prize huh? N-Not that I was planning to kill anyone or anything of course!" Hagakure said in a panicked tone and then he laughed it off quite nervously.

"Then Celes-chan's plan could actually be a good one…okay I say we go for it!" Asahina said as she shot her fist up enthusiastically.

"I also approve on behalf of the boys!" Ishimaru declared authoritatively.

"Who died and made you our boss?" Kuwata said in an exasperated tone.

Ishimaru stood up and went to the front, ignoring Kuwata's comment. "Alright the fellow classmates as your class representative I shall elect the first two candidates for tonight's watch! It shall be…" Ishimaru looked around contemplatively as Kuwata shouted in the background, "Now you're our class representative?"

"Naegi-kun! You're on first watch!" Ishimaru pointed at Naegi, who looked stunned at being picked.

"E-Eh, me?" He pointed at himself, looking quite unsure on what to say.

"Yes you! And from the girl's side…" He trailed off again as Kuwata screamed yet again, "Why must it be a boy and a girl?"

"Enoshima-kun! You look like you're full of energy!" He pointed at Ikusaba.

"Why me? Aww, I wanted to sleep in early tonight…All this craziness is too much for me today." She grumbled but I saw that she looked quite pleased for getting picked with Naegi.

"If you're tired Junko-san I can-"

"No I'll do it!" She said sharply, interrupting Sayaka's words.

_Oooh, snappy, _I thought as I saw Sayaka recoiled a bit from Ikusaba's glare. _Well I think my job here is done, I should probably head into my room._

"So everyone's in agreement? I'm glad that's settled. I shall retire for tonight." I stood up and made to leave the cafeteria.

"Eh, where are you going Celes-san?" Fujisaki asked in a soft voice.

"It will soon be Night Time, I want to take a shower before that happens." I answered.

"O-Oh okay…" 'She' nodded weakly and I could not resist patting 'her' on the head. Fujisaki blushed at the contact but looked quite pleased by the action.

"Well then, I bid you all farewell." I smiled and finally exited the cafeteria.

I could still hear them talking as I left, with Yamada's voice echoing in the empty hall. I heaved a sigh and had just taken a few steps before-

"H-Hey."

_I knew it. Well, more like I hoped for it. _

I swerve around to see a very flustered Ikusaba. The girl was playing with the end of her blonde wig and biting the bottom of her lips. I gave her a small smile and look at her quizzically.

"Oh? How may I help you Enoshima-san?" I tilt my head to the left for an added effect.

Enoshima bobbed her head up and down a few times, as though unsure on how to say it. "Well uh…I need some…advice…_about tonight_…" She said the last part softly as she casts her eyes on the ground, her face a shade of flaming red.

I stood there in the most poised posture and nodded my head. "Let's talk more in my room shall we?"

* * *

*Btw to those of you who do not know Shigeru Akagi is a mahjong player in the manga/anime Akagi. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	7. Chapter 7: Conversation

Hey guys it's Seria here! I am so sorry for the late update, classes had me swamped with assignments and etc. therefore delaying my response time (lol). Anyway I put in a little extra for this update with extra lengths! Anyway a special thank to you guys for your reviews! -

Takako Tokushima - I'm glad you like it! I feel that as I went up the chapters a lot of character interactions are needed!

AzureKing - Thank you for your support! Yes somehow I like the pairing of Ikusaba and Naegi too :)

DragonXDelinquent - Yes I have played the second DR too and I know what you mean. Monokuma is indeed devious and it won't be long until he catches on to what is happening.

anon - Thanks! Maybe she'll appear again so I hope you keep on reading my work!

Togami4ever - Yes he it is, thanks for your compliment (I think?) XD

Fiorella Luciana - Yes I was hoping the characters could stay in-character as long as possible! Maybe I will make one, thanks for suggesting!

zackarov - Stay tuned and find out!

Lee - Thank you for getting hooked! That isn't a bad idea actually, thank you for suggesting that too!

And without further ado, this is the seventh chapter~

* * *

Chapter 7: Despair is an intriguing conversation.

Ikusaba sat quietly inside my room, looking around nervously as she squirmed in her seat. She had asked for my help on what she should do tonight (concerning her night-watch with Naegi) and truth be told I was a little perplexed by this.

"Weren't you two close before all of this?" I asked with a hint of amusement in my voice.

I had made myself comfortable on the bed and undressed to simply a tank top and shorts. _These clothes aren't even mine, but I have to say they are quite comfy to wear._

I had previously thought to simply wear my undergarments since we are among girls but Ikusaba had a panic attack when she saw me in that state. The girl quickly ran out (presumably to her room) and returned with said top and shorts. I enjoyed a good few minutes of teasing the girl before she reverted to her 'killer' mode and I promptly stop (not before giving a seductive huff into her ear which got an amusing reaction out of her).

Ikusaba took a minute to calm down and finally gave me a look that she was ready. I merely nodded and allowed her more time to tell me what was on her mind.

"...I have a small crush on Naegi." She bluntly said with her face fast turning red from the sudden confession.

_No duh, Sherlock. _I refrained myself (my sadistic side that is) from rolling my eyes and simply let out a small, surprised gasp.

"Is it okay to say that Junko-san? What with the..." I trailed off and stared pointedly at the surveillance camera. Wouldn't it be bad if the real Junko hears her body double confessing her love?

However Ikusaba looked quite confident and nodded her head. "You must've noticed that within the dormitory rooms there are certain angles where the camera can't see...a blind spot of sort. It was made to give the occupants a certain amount of privacy to change and whatnot." She explained.

_Oh despite the many screws she has loose Junko is still quite the polite host. _I mused in my mind. "Then how about the audio? Monokuma could be listening in on us as we speak."

Again Ikusaba gave a confident smile and shook her head. "You see as a co-conspirator I am...given a certain amount of privileges, a few cheat codes so to speak. You see this remote here?" She pulled out a remote control from her pocket and showed it to me. "It allows me to control the surveillance cameras in the dormitory area and right now I've put yours in a loop and made it look like you're already sleeping and I am in my room.

I was taken by surprise by this piece of information as I had no idea Ikusaba is in control of such a useful object. _The endless possibilities of snooping around I could do...undetected by Junko. _As much as the idea appeals me I doubt Ikusaba would lend me that remote control.

"Then what is the purpose of controlling the cameras if I may ask? I thought Junko wants to show our misery for the whole world to see?" I inquired, not wanting to leave any mysteries unfounded.

"It's a counter measure against Fujisaki." Ikusaba answered simply. "Junko thought of the possibility that he might be able to hack into the cameras so in case she couldn't handle it from the master control panel I'll be here to fix it. Shows how much she depends on me for this task." She said with a hint of pride. Ikusaba must have been very happy thinking that Junko actually needed her help for something.

_Well too bad you couldn't do anything after that since she's just going to snuff you out for nothing. Geez Mukuro-chan why must you be so gullible? _Truthfully I pity the girl for how her twin sister treated her but I can't do anything much if she won't help me out. Instead of trying to argue that point with her I merely smile and nodded my head.

"So all that talk about the blind spots are actually unneeded." I deadpanned.

Ikusaba realized that and blushed again. "W-Well it's just for future reference in case you needed to change without any perverts watching!"

"Oh? Though I am on the smaller side I have to admit that I do have some sexy curves...what if I am an exhibitionist and like to flaunt my figure?" I toyed with her and immensely enjoyed the crimson red blush on her face.

"T-That, well...I-I never knew you had that kind of side to you Celes. If you must then I won't stop you..." Ikusaba said in a flustered manner, averting her gaze from me.

I let out a small giggle which then turned into a loud one. _Oh this girl is so priceless! The naivety! The gullibility! And her blind loyalty! I simply must have her on my side! _Looking at her confused face I feel more and more inclined to keep her alive.

"I am just pulling your legs Mukuro-chan. Rest assured I am not one to expose my delicate body to perverts around the world...well not without compensation at least." I shrugged.

Ikusaba said nothing as she was unsure if what I just told her was another joke or not so she merely nodded her head.

"So anyway, about your crush on Naegi..." I shifted back to our original topic and she sat herself upright, looking serious all of a sudden. "I think you were going to ask me about what to talk with him am I right?"

She nodded vigorously and I chuckled at her enthusiasm. I walked towards the desk and took off my twin tails as Ikusaba exclaimed behind me, "Ah so they were fake!"

I ruffled my hair around and jumped onto the bed again, lying spread-eagle. I noticed that the camera had stopped blinking (there was a tiny bulb underneath it that had been flashing a red light). _So Mukuro was telling the truth...hmm, what a nifty object to have that remote!_

"Truthfully I am not an expert in...boys but I suppose you can start with..."

* * *

"Everyone rise and shine! It's 7 A.M. in the morning, time to get up!"

"Nnh..." I woke up to the sound of Monokuma's morning announcement. My eyes felt heavy as I woke up, rubbing them groggily and realized that the sun was not present to welcome me. _I can't believe such a simple pleasure could be missed this greatly, _I thought sadly and proceeded to slowly dress up.

I know full well that the real Celes would have taken her time to join the others in the cafeteria but I however, am very anxious to hear about Ikusaba's exploits last night.

_I pretty much told her everything I knew so I hope she got a positive feedback or else I'll be dealing with a very depressed Super Duper High School Despair. _

"Good morning Celes-kun!"

I nearly fell backwards from that unusually loud greeting. "...Ishimaru-san, must you be so loud? You nearly caused me to have a heart attack." I grumbled as the boy laughed.

"There is nothing wrong with being energetic in the morning! By the way it is good to see you this early! The others should follow your example!" He said energetically as he clenched his fist noisily in front of his chest.

"...I swear sometimes I think you have a one-tracked mind. You're quite the boy scout aren't you?" I sighed.

Ishimaru looked quite shocked for a second before laughing it off. "Yes I suppose I am! One must always adhere to the rules else chaos ensues and it is my duty to guide the lost lambs from falling into such a state!"

I nodded quietly as I studied the boy. Ishimaru comes off as bossy and authoritative but he seems to care about the others a lot. The confidence he shows in his voice and on his face had quite the effect on me and I can't help but to think he could be a more capable leader than Naegi.

_Well at least untill Oowada gets executed and he'll fall into pieces...I guess when the universe made Naegi into a protagonist they can't have someone like Ishimaru around to weaken his leadership skills. However fighting against fate is my duty here. This is the story that I chose and it'll end how I see fit damn it! _I unconsciously bit my thumb in anger at the thought, causing Ishimaru to turn pale.

"I, uh, suppose I shall wait in the dormitory area for the rest to wake up! S-See you later Celes-kun!" He bid farewell to me in a scared tone and quickly got out of my sight, leaving me with my thoughts.

It happened again it seems, my sudden emotional surge that I could not control. I let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of my nose to calm myself down. All this anger is not good for my complexion so I decided to make my way to the cafeteria for some morning breakfast.

Inside the cafeteria I saw Fujisaki having 'her' breakfast with Kirigiri. It was quite amusing to see this as Fujisaki looked like 'she' was about to cry while Kirigiri ate her breakfast without uttering a word. I knew without anybody telling me that Fujisaki must have invited Kirigiri to eat together in good will and she accepted. Fujisaki must have then attempted to start a conversation which ended up failing miserably seeing as her company is the tight-lipped Kirigiri.

_I suppose I could help him out just this once. _I walked towards the pantry and prepared my own breakfast. Surprisingly I found out that I still retained my abilities to make a decent meal of bacon and eggs (I doubt Celes could have done this on her own). However to my annoyance I have also retained the high-standard taste of the original Celes, seeing that I nearly threw up from the taste of the simple tea I had brewed (who am I kidding? It was tea from a teabag). It took me a good ten minutes to brew the right milk tea that suited my taste and was finally able to join Fujisaki and Kirigiri.

The mood is still heavy as I sat next to Kirigiri, offering a "Good morning." to the both of them.

"Good morning." Kirigiri replied monotonously. I merely felt slightly amused by her response and turned to look at Fujisaki.

"Ah, g-good morning Celes-san..." 'She' greeted softly, face blushing furiously as I pinched 'her' cheek (I couldn't resist).

"So did you two sleep well last night? Nothing went wrong I assume?" I asked politely as an attempt to start a conversation.

Fujisaki smiled and shook 'her' head. "No everything was fine although it was still a bit scary all the same..." 'She' answered and broke up to small tears again.

"It was ordinary to say the least." Kirigiri replied in her monotonous voice again.

"U-Um how was yours Celes-san?" Fujisaki inquired.

"Oh? You wish to know of my...exploits do you? Well I suppose I could tell you but be warned it might get a little erotic as I explain." I teased.

Fujisaki turned beat red while Kirigiri looked at me with half curiosity and interest. I giggled as I told them and soon enough I heard the door open behind me.

I turned at the sound of the loud footsteps and was engulfed by a tight hug.

"Celes-chan~ good morning!" Ikusaba greeted cheerfully.

I was taken aback by her sudden cheeriness and nearly choked on the bacon I was chewing.

"_*Cough* _Junko-san?" I was still surprised as she showed me the peace sign.

"Oh my bad were you eating? Well I'm hungry too so let me cook something up real fast and join you guys!" She grinned and took off to the pantry, leaving the three of us in a bewildered state.

"...She is awfully happy about something..." Kirigiri mumbled, scratching her chin thoughtfully.

"M-Maybe something good happened to her last night..." Fujisaki said and blushed as 'she' realized what 'she' had just implied.

A few minutes later Ikusaba returned with a tray filled with fruits. She was still grinning from ear to ear as she sat down next to me. She peeled of a banana and chomped down with vigour.

"I assume everything went well with Naegi-kun last night?" I whispered in her ears.

Ikusaba's eyes lit up and she nodded sheepishly. I smiled and patted the girl on her shoulder to congratulate her of sort. Meanwhile Fujisaki and Kirigiri had diverted their attention towards Oogami and Asahina who had just entered the cafeteria. I quietly finish my plate and softly whisper to Ikusaba, "Tell me about it when you have some free time" and the girl nodded in reply.

I then bid the other two goodbye (in the process saying hello to the newcomers, with Asahina forgetting my name again) and exited the cafeteria.

Let's see what's on schedule today... Naegi and Sayaka will play detectives, the rest would go on about their own plans, Togami and Kirigiri would disappear and as for tomorrow... "Oh dear..." It is going to happen soon. The first murder, attempted by our very own idol. I know that I must prepare for the worst today, to see whether I have it in me to thwart Sayaka's plan.

I spent the rest of the morning going around the school, checking the various abnormalities that Monokuma had done to the place. It was when I wanted to enter the entrance hall that I bumped into Oowada.

"Yo." He greeted, looking as angry as usual.

"A pleasant morning to you too Oowada-kun." I bowed slightly.

He looked slightly perturbed by my manners which he then shrugs it off. "Yeah well, what are you doing 'round here? Had breakfast yet?" He asked and I knew he was trying his best to be polite back to me (polite in Oowada's term is literally to the best of how long it takes for him to blow a fuse).

"To answer your first question I am here because I feel like going for a walk. Secondly, why yes I have, thank you for asking." I answered him calmly.

Oowada merely nodded and turned back to the steel gate that is holding us in. He let out a frustrated growl as he kicks it. "This-stupid-thing-is-hard!" He growls in between his breathing. "It's like it's made out of some kinda' metal or sumthin'!"

_This again? I thought I already answered that for him. _"Oowada-kun I thought we have already established that they are _indeed _made out of iron?" I sighed.

"..." Oowada stopped as he paused to think about what I just said.

I watched in amusement as he let out another growl (which frightened Kuwata who had just came in) and furiously scratches his head in comical effect.

"W-What's gotten into him?" Kuwata asked me in a low tone, watching the delinquent frightfully.

The both of us watched quietly as Oowada began hitting the gate with his fists. The boy seems to be in rampage mode as he did not show any signs of stopping his fruitless efforts.

"Just a case of stupidity." I answered simply and left Kuwata alone to contend with a very angry Oowada.

As soon as I exited the premise I again bumped into somebody. I fell backwards and let out a small "Ouch!" _This is beginning to be a habit. _I thought angrily as I rubbed my behind and frowned at my company.

"C-Celes-san I am so sorry! Are you hurt? Let me help you out!"

"Oh Naegi-kun you're quite a gentleman!"

_Oh great, it's the lovebirds, _I thought wearily. I accepted Naegi's hand as he gently pulled me up and I thanked him as politely as possible (I was still a bit miffed for being pushed down).

"Naegi-kun, Sayaka-san, what are you two doing here?" I asked even though I already knew the reason.

Naegi began explaining in a very flustered manner something about investigating the school ground and Sayaka interjecting and said that she was his assistant.

"...Is that some kind of role-play you two are into?" I couldn't help saying that. Upon hearing the words first hand from Naegi and Sayaka themselves I felt that these two are indeed in THAT kind of relationship.

"Aww not you too! Enoshima-san said the same thing just now!" Naegi pouted (yes _pouted_) while Sayaka blushed and giggled happily.

"You two met Junko-san...?" Oh that's right, no wonder my line sounded familiar. Ikusaba was the one who said it first. _Talking about Ikusaba... oh boy I'm sure she's not too happy seeing these two together. _

"Yeah she was in the school store. We saw her just a couple of minutes ago so I think she's still there." Naegi answered.

"I see...well sorry to leave you two in such a hurry but I must get going." I bowed at them briskly and straight away headed for the school store.

As I reached that place I met with Asahina, Sakura and Fukawa. The three were arguing about something which inclined me to stop and stay.

"I-It's not like I'm here because you asked me to! I-I just have nowhere else to go! Don't include me in your sweaty, putrid muscle-bound group!" Fukawa hissed from behind a pillar.

""What? You left us just now when Naegi-kun came and then you come back here again just to insult us? The nerve!" Asahina said angrily.

The two were shooting daggers from their eyes as Sakura merely sighed and shook her head. She then saw me and bowed her head in acknowledgement (to which I responded).

"What seems to be going on?" I asked calmly amidst the cat fight.

"...Fukawa is being unreasonable and Asahina-san is caught up in her flow." Sakura stated as we watched the two bicker.

"I see...perhaps it has something to do with inviting her on a whim and it backfired? " I, of course, knew the reason to their dispute but to see it in an elaborated fashion is quite interesting in itself.

"You have a sharp mind Celes." Sakura praised, looking mighty impressed. "Yes, Asahina had invited her out with good intentions but Fukawa seems to think otherwise."

Asahina is in fact the sole cheeriness in the group. Scared as she is in this situation we have been thrown in she never gives up hope to escape with everyone. The reason why she invited Fukawa out in the first place was because she felt sorry for the bookworm being left out and alone.

"Maybe you two should leave her alone for now? She looks like she's having a seizure..." I tried to sound worried but it might have come off as sarcastic because Sakura gave me a knowing look with a smirk.

"I will leave that to Asahina's decision. I am not good with human relations myself." She said firmly and stood by as she watched the swimmer's heated argument with the bookworm.

I bid farewell to the martial artist and entered the store. Inside there I found a seething Ikusaba who was fast mumbling a set of random numbers under her breath.

_Yup she's pissed alright. _"...Junko-san?" I called her name carefully.

_"What?_" She snapped, before realizing it was me and mumbled a hurried "Sorry..."

I merely shook my head to show that it was alright and walked to the counter. I leaned against it and folded my hands, watching the girl intently for any signs that she might go aggressive.

"I take it you already saw Naegi-kun and Sayaka-san together." I whispered in a low tone in case the real Junko was watching. I almost regretted mentioning their name as Ikusaba glared at me with pure anger.

"What does he see in that fake bitch anyway? Sure she's pretty and all but she's as two-faced as any conniving bastards out there destroying the streets." She grumbled, her face wearing an angry expression.

I pretended to play with the Monomono Machine, turning the dial and was surprised to see a cup of royal tea popping out from the capsule (how on earth did _that _fit in this thing?).

"Blame it on raging hormones, most boys would take a pretty face over a decent brain on a girl any day. However I'm surprised to hear you insult Sayaka-san...you rarely speak up sure, but you never insulted anybody either." I stated with a hint of disapproval in my voice. I fear that if I managed to stop Sayaka from attempting a murder somehow Ikusaba might end up killing her instead so I got to nip this in the bud early.

She looked surprised for a second before giving me a guilty look. "Sorry, I know that you two are close back in the days..."

_Sayaka and I were close? Really? Somehow I can't see that at all hmm... _"It's not about Sayaka-san being a friend of mine but I want you to remember what you told me before- that you won't kill any of our friends." I reminded her in a hushed voice.

"I remember." That was all that she said as she met my eyes and I saw her conviction.

After our long staring battle I was finally convinced and nodded my head. Ikusaba relaxes her shoulders and went to the shelves to pick up several odd items, no doubt to conceal our true intention to have a conversation.

"It's just that...I thought we got something started you know? That maybe he might be interested in the 'new' me..." she shuffled her feet nervously, looking downcast.

"You mean the blonde, supermodel you?" I elaborated what she had said, pointing at her from head to toe.

"N-No! I mean..._*hah* _back in our first year I was always the quiet, weird one while _she _was the social butterfly...the one everyone likes..." Ikusaba said bitterly, obviously mentioning Sayaka. "Now though…now it's like I'm getting a second life, like maybe I can start fresh with Naegi. But it looks like _she _still has a grip on him like a vulture even when she's all amnesiac." Ikusaba scoffed, looking away with angry tears in her eyes.

"I know how you feel." I said against my better judgment. I truly do, seeing as I got a chance to live again as another person. I realized then that I have no rights to question her seeing as I am just the same. "I mean, about the whole getting a second life thing...me changing my name is already like a rebirth right?" I quickly added, shifting her attention to _Celes's _past instead.

She seems to have bought that, nodding her head and letting out a throaty laugh. "Yeah... you know I've said it before but, you're really a nice person aren't you Celes? I wish we were closer back then, maybe I wouldn't have been as lonely ha ha..." Ikusaba wiped the tears and gave me a wide grin.

I felt a pull in my heart as she put on a brave front to hide her feelings. "No I'm not..." I mumbled, feeling the heat rise up to my face.

She laughed again and pulled me in a hug of sort (my head was pulled into a gentle headlock). "No need to be shy, we're chums now y'know!" She said happily.

"I find this to be very out of character for you _Junko-san_." I grumbled as I tried to pull away.

"...I'm pretending remember?" She whispered cheerfully and winked.

_Very out of character. What have I done? _Finally she lets go and I immediately smoothen my hair and dress (_don't want then getting messy now_).

Ikusaba stretched around with the same smile on her face. She then took out a few Monokuma coins and collected the items she had previously taken from the shelves (you pay for those stuffs with the weird coin?).

"I need to put these stuffs in my room, wanna' come with and hang out for a bit? We can chat and…t-talk about boys or something." Ikusaba looked away shyly as she proposed that idea.

"I would love to but I already have a prior engagement waiting for me. How about we do later tonight? You can tell me about your walk with Naegi-kun too _fu fu fu_." I said.

Ikusaba flustered but nodded nevertheless. I held the door for her as she exited the store (she thanked me in the process) and as she headed for the dormitory I turned to the opposite direction.

_If I'm correct Naegi and Sayaka should be around the gymnasium entrance. _

"Well then, I think it's time I win over the idol next." I stretched my arms and slowly walk towards the gym.


End file.
